He Got a New Gun for Christmas; His Neighbor Was Dead by Xmas Afternoon

Summary

Podcast Summary: "He Got a New Gun for Christmas; His Neighbor Was Dead by Xmas Afternoon"

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Episode Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes
Episode Theme:
A tragic, accidental shooting on Christmas Day in Comanche, Oklahoma, where a man using his new gun for target practice fatally struck his elderly neighbor. The episode delves into the incident’s details, the aftermath, and broader implications for gun safety and responsibility.

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode examines a tragic and bizarre Christmas Day incident in rural Oklahoma: a man named Cody Adams, celebrating his new gun, practiced shooting in his backyard and accidentally killed his neighbor, Sandra Phelps, as she sat on her porch holding a child. Amy and TJ explore the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the emotional fallout, legal consequences, and broader issues of gun safety in America.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident: Sequence of Events

• Cody Adams (33) bought himself a gun for Christmas and was firing at a Red Bull can in his backyard.

• A bullet traveled up to half a mile, struck Sandra Phelps, an elderly woman, as she sat on her porch holding a child (another child was nearby in a stroller, and two other adults were present).

  • Amy Robach: "They had just opened their gifts, it was in the afternoon, probably had had their Christmas meal just enjoying the day on their porch, never thinking for one moment that a bullet from what, a half a mile away could possibly erroneously and tragically kill a woman." [04:09]

• Bullet hit her right arm, moved into her chest cavity, causing rapid fatality despite CPR attempts.

• Heartbreaking moment: Sandra reportedly joked about someone using a gun for Christmas moments before being shot.

  • Amy: "She had kind of made a joke. Somebody got a gun for Christmas because they were hearing someone practicing shooting rounds. And then they said moments later, all she said was, ouch." [06:46]

2. The Setting: Rural Gun Culture & Safety

• The neighborhood was accustomed to the sound of gunshots; target practice was common.

• Investigators found many homes were set up for safe shooting ("places that shoot") with proper backstops—except Adams’s home.

  • TJ Holmes: "You have to have a proper backstop. You have to have something that catches your stray bullets because you're going to miss your target aplenty. And this was the only home... that wasn't cleared as having a proper backstop." [07:40]

• Amy reflects: Even as a non-gun owner, rural life means hearing guns often, and it’s unsettling not knowing whether neighbors observe safety precautions. [08:05]

3. Legal Consequences: Charges & Accountability

• Adams was charged with first-degree manslaughter.

• He appeared genuinely remorseful, reportedly crying when informed of Phelps’s death.

  • Amy: "He cried. And I think most human beings would have done the exact same thing." [11:34]

• Minimum sentence: four years in prison.

• Discussion on charges:

  • Amy investigates difference between first and second-degree manslaughter; both agree his actions align more with second-degree (reckless, not intentional).
    • Amy: "It sure sounds like what happened... sounds a lot more like second degree manslaughter than first degree manslaughter." [18:55]
    • TJ: "I won't ever pretend to understand … but I just. I don't know how if you're in your backyard firing a gun, you can't just say that. Well, nothing's close enough. So I should have had a reasonable belief that I was doing something safe. It just doesn't work that way." [19:42]

4. The Human Cost: Layers of Tragedy

• Not just one victim: two families are devastated—the Phelps family lost a loved one; Adams’s life is also upended (possible prison, lifelong guilt).

• Insights on the randomness and unfairness of fate—"wrong place, wrong time," and the "miracle" that more weren’t hurt or killed (children narrowly missed).

  • TJ: "It was maybe up to half a mile away. The bullet ends up in that exact place. Doesn't go to the left or to the right a little bit where two children were... That type of coincidence by a matter of inches." [06:03]
  • Amy: "That poor stupid guy who did a dumb thing is now going to pay for it. Not just with his loss of freedom and having to go to prison, but also just living with that guilt for the rest of his life. That’s not nothing." [21:24]

• Previously, Amy notes, there were over 460 accidental gun deaths in the US in 2023, highlighting the broader public safety risk. [10:12]

5. Broader Reflections & Takeaways

• Gun safety: Even lawful, recreational gun use carries profound risks.

• Regulation: Who oversees backyard shooting safety? Often, nothing is checked until after tragedy strikes. [08:53]

• Emotional complexity: Hosts wrestle with feelings of both grief for the victim and sympathy for the shooter.

  • TJ: "Sometimes it almost feels terrible to have sympathy for him... You almost feel torn and it’s difficult to just disregard the guy." [20:29]
  • Amy: "There can be sympathy for both sides in this one because there wasn't an intention to do harm, but there was a recklessness that caused it. And so, yes, there has to be accountability." [21:24]

• Amy’s personal lesson: Cherish loved ones; nothing in life is guaranteed.

  • Amy: "We don't have security in this world, in this life. And so what we have is right now and it just, it is a reminder to hug the people we love." [22:47]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Never thinking for one moment that a bullet from... a half a mile away could possibly erroneously and tragically kill a woman.”
  — Amy Robach [04:09]

• “She had kind of made a joke. Somebody got a gun for Christmas because they were hearing someone practicing shooting rounds. And then they said moments later, all she said was, ouch.”
  — Amy Robach [06:46]

• “You have to have a proper backstop... This was the only home they said... that wasn't cleared as having a proper backstop.”
  — TJ Holmes [07:40]

• “He cried. And I think most human beings would have done the exact same thing. And what he said was, I'm sorry...”
  — Amy Robach [11:34]

• “460 plus accidental deaths in one year from folks who were just mishandling guns, misfiring guns. And that is just a damn shame. That is a huge number.”
  — Amy Robach [10:12]

• “Sometimes it almost feels terrible to have sympathy for him... You almost feel torn.”
  — TJ Holmes [20:29]

• “There can be sympathy for both sides in this one because there wasn't an intention to do harm, but there was a recklessness that caused it. And so, yes, there has to be accountability.”
  — Amy Robach [21:24]

• “We don't have security in this world, in this life. And so what we have is right now and it just, it is a reminder to hug the people we love.”
  — Amy Robach [22:47]

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Segment Timestamps

• [03:22] Incident introduction & headline (TJ Holmes)
• [04:09] Initial reactions to the accident, setup of the tragic scene (Amy Robach)
• [05:34] Victim's name, scene description, and how the shooting occurred (Amy Robach & TJ Holmes)
• [06:46] The bullet's trajectory and porch conversation before shooting (Amy Robach)
• [07:40] Gun backstop discussion and lack of regulation (TJ Holmes & Amy Robach)
• [10:12] Statistics on accidental gun deaths and dangers of gun ownership (Amy Robach)
• [11:34] The shooter's emotional response and legal aftermath (Amy Robach & TJ Holmes)
• [18:55] Legal distinctions: first vs. second degree manslaughter (Amy Robach & TJ Holmes)
• [20:29] Emotional complexity: Can we have sympathy for the shooter? (TJ Holmes)
• [22:47] Personal reflections and the importance of valuing loved ones (Amy Robach)

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Tone & Language

The conversation is somber, reflective, and direct. Both Amy and TJ balance factual reporting with compassion for both victim and perpetrator, grappling with the complexity and heartbreak of accidental tragedies.

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Summary Takeaway

A tragic accident underscores the unpredictable, far-reaching consequences of firearms—even in the hands of well-meaning people—and calls attention to the critical importance of gun safety, regulation, and empathy for all those affected by loss. The episode closes urging listeners to cherish loved ones and reflect on the impermanence and frailty of life.

Transcript

[Amy Robach]

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[Everytown for Gun Safety Representative]

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[TJ Holmes]

Hey there folks. It is Monday, December 29, and a man in Oklahoma got himself a gun for Christmas. It was a Christmas gift to himself and he went out on Christmas day to test it out in his backyard and he ends up accidentally killing his elderly neighbor. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and tj. This is a story robes and maybe several people missed over the weekend, but this happened on Christmas Day. It has a lot of elements that are tragic, bizarre, wild coincidences and heartbreaking. But your reaction, we're going to get into all the details, but just the reaction to what we're talking about a Christmas Day tragedy and a man actually out and back trying to enjoy a Christmas gift.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, it's, it's one of those, it's a freak accident that, that obviously is incredibly tragic. And then when you hear where this woman was, who was around her, it could have been even more significantly tragic given who was sitting on that porch alongside this woman. I mean, think about that. They had just opened their gifts, it was in the afternoon, probably had had their Christmas meal just enjoying the day on their porch, never thinking for one moment that a bullet from what a half a mile away could possibly erroneously and tragically kill a woman.

[TJ Holmes]

And we'll get into. But what you're alluding to there is that there were not children just close by, but quite frankly in the arms of the woman who was shot. This is according to police, but this is in Comanche, Oklahoma. Not that familiar ahead of time with it, but about 100 miles south, southwest of Oklahoma City is where this is happening. And on Christmas Day, 3:30 in the afternoon, police get a call of a woman who was shot. And right now, as we speak, there is A man by the name of Cody Adams, 33 years old, who's been charged with first degree manslaughter. Now, initially, Rose, I don't know if you saw some of the early articles, but they were saying they only identified the woman as an elderly woman who had been killed. They didn't say her name, but now they have given us her name. I haven't seen the age, but again, police are saying an elderly woman.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, her name is Sandra Phelps. And she was sitting there on Christmas Day on the porch holding a child in her left arm. And there was another child in a stroller in front of her. And I believe there were two other adults on the porch alongside her. And she was shot in her right arm. And did you understand this as well, babe, that it. It actually moved into her chest cavity at some point and she was killed pretty quickly? They tried to perform CPR on her, but to no avail.

[TJ Holmes]

Died at the scene. But yes, to that point, you hear when I first was here, she got shot in the arm. I was like, wow, what happened? But yes, that's the thing. It moved. So she doesn't shot in the chest, but essentially shot in the chest because it moved into her chest and that's why she ended up dead. What? Just the idea that. Just the chances of all of this. First of all, that somebody. It was maybe up to half a mile away. The bullet ends up in that exact place. Doesn't go to the left or to the right a little bit where two children were. It that, that. It's just, man, if you ever believe in miracles or God or something else going on, There are just some things that happen in the world that you can't understand. That type of coincidence by a matter of inches.

[Amy Robach]

And the trajectory of the bullet too. The police were saying that it came at such a strange trajectory. I don't know if that's how it moved, but they noted there was some chipped piece of terracotta that made. They were actually having to go back and trace to figure out how the hell this happened. I'm just imagining being on that porch because by the accounts of the folks who were sitting next to her, she had kind of made a joke. Somebody got a gun for Christmas because they were hearing someone practicing shooting rounds. And then they said moments later, all she said was, ouch.

[TJ Holmes]

Again, this. This is in the affidavit. This is not some hearsay or some reporters talking to law. No, they say she actually made that comment. And several people commented around that area that yes, they did hear folks shooting Guns? Yes, probably. People got guns for Christmas. Yes. When police were canvassing the area, several homes were known as, what they call them, places that shoot.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, Right.

[TJ Holmes]

But when you have a place that shoots in your backyard, here's the issue. You have to have a proper backstop. You have to have something that catches your stray bullets because you're going to miss your target aplenty. And this was the only home they said, as they canvassed the area that wasn't cleared as having a proper backstop. And just so happened this was the house that they were looking for.

[Amy Robach]

You know, this is scary because I didn't even know. I am not familiar at all with guns. But having had a home in a rural area, you would hear gunshots all the time. But I, you know, it always was a little scary. Especially I like to hike and it's wooded. And you just think, I don't know where these people are shooting. I don't know if they have all the safety precautions in place. It is a frightening thing. And anyone who lives outside of a city almost certainly knows exactly what we're talking about. We. I would hear it daily. And I just. You have to hope that the people around you who are practicing are doing it safely, because this type of thing, obviously, it's rare, but to hear it happen the way it happened, that is. That would definitely give me pause. Now you kind of almost wanna check out, how do you know what your neighbors have in place and what they.

[TJ Holmes]

Don'T and who regulates those? I don't know. If someone. If you're required to. Nobody's coming by your house to check. And maybe you don't. You don't get in trouble until after the fact, until after a tragedy possibly happens. But this. They go to this guy's house robed, and they get to his house because several people in the neighborhood apparently told him, and everybody was aware he got a new gun. He got.

[Amy Robach]

He got a gun for Christmas.

[TJ Holmes]

For Christmas. And he had been shooting it in days prior. According to them, he actually got the gun for himself, bought it as a Christmas gift to himself. And in a couple days prior to Christmas, he had been out. So they had heard him firing. But then happened. This happens on Christmas Day. Now, police went. And this was also another interesting nugget here at Robes. They go to his house. They go out to the backyard. He said he had been shooting at a Red Bull. Can they see the spent casings? But they're standing where he would have been standing to fire his gun and where he said. And they Have a direct line of sight.

[Amy Robach]

Wow.

[TJ Holmes]

To emergency vehicles and emergency sirens. And they hear and see the police vehicles that are at the scene where the woman was dead. It was a direct line to where that home was. Again, another chilling moment. I'm sure he never thought that maybe this could happen, but, man, some of the numbers they give you out there for how far bullets can travel, it's.

[Amy Robach]

Pretty staggering that that is what's scary. And you also think about the fact. I don't know if he was a gun owner to begin with or if this was his first gun. But look, at some point, it's someone's first gun. So they're learning as they go. They're practicing. That's what they're doing. But do they know all the safety measures that have to be in place? Do they know about backstops? Do they recognize how far bullets can travel? You know, I was looking in one of these articles, there was a link to just how many accidental gun deaths there are here in the United States each year. And I guess the most Recent numbers are 20, 23, but it was 460 plus accidental deaths in one year from folks who were just mishandling guns, misfiring guns. And that is just a damn shame. That is a huge number.

[TJ Holmes]

And. And now we add this woman to the tragedy. He is now facing up to four years minimum. Four year minimum in prison for this. And he was cooperative, according to the affidavit. And they said robes. As soon as they explained to him what had happened and that they thought he might have been responsible for this woman's death. There was, I think, robes and what they describe, a genuine human reaction to a guy who just had no idea that he. He was endangering somebody else.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, he cried. He cried. And I think most human beings would have done the exact same thing. And what he said was, I'm sorry, I cannot even imagine dealing with that or having to go through that or hear that you had caused a tragedy like that while you were just out back shooting at a Red Bull can, practicing with your new gun. That had to be one of the most horrific things to be told on Christmas Day.

[TJ Holmes]

We don't know, at least from the affidavit of the ages, of the children, I was curious to know. But they did say one was in a stroller. Again, this is an elderly woman holding another child. You can imagine, it's a small child. Don't know how the family is doing, don't know how the kids are doing. But they had to watch this woman. Their loved one. Again, they didn't realize what happened. And I thought it was interesting that they said. She simply said, ouch. She said ouch, and then collapsed. As if it wasn't necessarily a. A chaotic scene or maybe a bloody or some kind of explosion. She got hit, said ouch, and just collapsed is how it's described.

[Amy Robach]

Wow. I know you. Oh, I. Look, I think a lot of people wonder what it would feel like, what it would be like, and just to know that it was that quick, I think that was the. The takeaway from all accounts that at least it didn't sound as though she suffered. It didn't sound as if it was some horrific death. It sounded like it was quick. And they did rush to her, try to perform CPR on her. And unfortunately, as she died on the scene, she didn't even get a chance to get taken to the hospital. And one bullet, One bullet just hit her at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[TJ Holmes]

All right, well, folks, sure. Wrong place, wrong time, sure awful coincidence. But we will let you hear exactly how the government describes this man's actions, and we'll give you our thoughts about this man now, who made a mistake, who made a tragic and now deadly mistake. But does that really lessen the impact and the responsibility he should hold for what has happened? Stay here.

[Cal Penn / Ed Helms (Podcast Hosts)]

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[Amy Robach]

You know what?

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[Amy Robach]

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[Everytown for Gun Safety Representative]

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[Amy Robach]

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[Everytown for Gun Safety Representative]

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[Amy Robach]

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[TJ Holmes]

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[TJ Holmes]

All right folks, we continue here on Amy and TJ on this Monday morning. A Monday morning after a weekend, a Christmas weekend. A lot of people enjoying time with the family. Hopefully you had. Hopefully you had a successful and fun and safe one. But a tragedy in Oklahoma as a 33 year old man, Cody Adams has been charged with first degree manslaughter for what, by all accounts was the accidental shooting death of Sandra Phelps, who police describe as an elderly woman who was hanging out at her home, at a home with her family, holding a child at the time. And Cody Adams was doing some target practice in his backyard with his new Christmas Glock. 45 when she was shot. Now, robes I described here. And look, we. By all accounts, yes, he said he's sorry. Yes, he cried and he immediately was upset. But this is how the government put it in the affidavit. They say he created a situation of unreasonable risk and probability of death or great bodily harm to another person and demonstrated a conscious disregard for the safety of. Of others. That has to be. That's given. I mean, that's just true. I mean, it is. No matter what you think this is. When I think about drunk driving deaths, nobody drinks and drives and is trying to kill anybody. But there is a. That's a reckless disregard for other people. This has to be in that same type of vein, even though it's a awful tragedy.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. I just looked up because they did decide to. To charge Cody with first degree manslaughter. They could have done secondary. I was looking at the difference between the two, and I'm curious what you think. Because first degree manslaughter occurs when someone intends to injure someone severely instead of solely hurting them. The injuries cause death. Okay, that's first degree. Second degree manslaughter occurs when someone is acting recklessly and aware of their potentially fatal actions. Instead of stopping, they continue with their reckless acts, which leads to another person's death. It sounds. I mean, I again, am not anyone with any sort of legal training, but it's. Sir, it sure sounds like what happened, or at least what's been described as having happened. Sounds a lot more like second degree manslaughter than first degree manslaughter.

[TJ Holmes]

Look, they. Those prosecutors, let them do their thing. They know what they're doing and why. And I won't ever pretend to understand that's out of the Oklahoma statute. I assume they might be different in different states, but that's. That's what they say it is. But I just. I don't know how if you're in your backyard yard firing a gun, you can't just say that. Well, nothing's close enough. So I should have had a reasonable belief that I was doing something safe. It just doesn't work that way.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, a half a mile. I mean, again, I just try to think about that visually as a runner. I know how long it takes to run half a mile. Takes me about four and a half minutes to run half a mile. So that's the distance this bullet traveled before it hit this elderly woman holding a. An infant in her arms.

[TJ Holmes]

So, again, I, I don't know how to. And I, I saw it and it was tragic. And I. Obviously you feel bad immediately where there are victims, but there are also two families who are now going to be devastated in a way and changed forever. And I don't know how. How to feel. Sometimes it almost feels terrible to have sympathy for him. You know what I mean? He didn't mean to do this, but he did something wrong that resulted in somebody's death. I don't, I don't know how we handle how we deal it. Just the emotions. I think a lot of people would look and immediately go, you monster, you idiot, you reckless fool out there firing off a gun. Yeah, I guess all that's true, but, man, there's just something about these types of stories. It just. You almost feel torn and it's difficult to just disregard the guy. And I don't know, it seems weird to have some type of sympathy. But I'm trying, what I'm trying to express in a story like this.

[Amy Robach]

Oh, I think everyone feels it, babe. I, I think you expressed it perfectly because that is, it can be true that there can be. There can be sympathy for both sides in this one because there wasn't an intention to do harm, but there was a recklessness that caused it. And so, yes, there has to be accountability. There has to be some sort of punishment. I think that, look, if that were your mother, if that were your grandmother, you would feel very passionately about it. We can have a little bit more of a distance from it emotionally and look at it from the facts and say, man, this, this poor stupid guy who did a dumb thing is now going to pay for it. Not just with his loss of freedom and having to go to prison, but also just living with that guilt for the rest of his life. That's not nothing.

[TJ Holmes]

And you know what? Those kids are going to live with something for the rest of their lives. Those other adults who were on that porch are going to live with something. Watching their loved one die on Christmas Day and not being able to do anything about it and actually, quite frankly, not even understanding what was happening in the moment. This is just an awful, awful story. And, you know, all the times we're able to try to find some lesson or some. I don't have it yet on this one, or a, A nice, some kind of a takeaway. But my God, just please folks, keep folks and your loved ones close and just be a little kind, a little grace because people went through some hell on the holidays.

[Amy Robach]

That was my takeaway. Actually, when I was reading the story and we were researching it, I just thought about the fact that we have our three girls sleeping here with us right now. And I just felt so grateful knowing that, look, we don't have security in this world, in this life. And so what we have is right now and it just, it is a reminder to hug the people we love. That is my takeaway.

[TJ Holmes]

All right, well folks, wherever you may be today, please, please hope you have a happy and safe one. Know a lot of people out there are still making their way back from the holidays as well. Please be careful out of weather going to be in your way. But we always appreciate you spending some time with us here on Amy and tj. I am TJ Holmes. On behalf of my dear Amy Robach, we will talk to you all.

[Cal Penn / Ed Helms (Podcast Hosts)]

Hey audiobook lovers. I'm Cal Penn. I'm Ed Helms. Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from Audible. Listen to earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart Followersay and start listening on the free iHeartRadio app.

[Amy Robach]

Today a GLP1 helped you lose weight. But now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, the way came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.

[Amy Robach]

There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.

[Amy Robach]

To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.

[Everytown for Gun Safety Representative]

As moms, we do everything we can to keep our kids safe. We baby proof buckle seatbelts, we walk them to school. But there's another danger we can't ignore. Gun violence is the number one cause of death for school age children in the us. That's why Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund exists. Through Moms Demand Action, we've helped pass hundreds of life saving laws. And we're not stopping right now. Through December 31st, your gift will be triple matched three times. The impact to save lives. If you're going to give this is the time. Go to Everytown.org and make your donation today.

[Fossil / Saks Off 5th Advertiser]

That's Everytown.org get festive with Fossil this holiday season. As a proud sponsor of Jingle Ball Friday, Fossil has unforgettable gifts for everyone on your list, including a limited edition watch collection with Nick Jonas, plus statement jewelry, giftable leather goods, and of course, timeless watches. From elegant Raquel for her to rugged Machine for him, there's nothing like a Fossil watch and there's a style for everybody and a personal touch. Customize their gift with free engraving and embossing. Shop it all now@ fossil.com.

[TJ Holmes]

This is Julian Edelman from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels. Sunday mornings I've got my game day ritual, coffee, lucky socks and now new Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches.

[Cal Penn / Ed Helms (Podcast Hosts)]

It's all about that 12 gram protein boost with the new Uncrustables Bright Eyed Berry or Up and Apple flavors. Bright Eye Berries got a feisty receiver energy up an apple. Your classic do it all tight end.

[TJ Holmes]

Soft pillowy, packed with protein and easy.

[Cal Penn / Ed Helms (Podcast Hosts)]

Enough for Gronk to grab from the freezer. Whether you're on the couch, driving to the tailgate or heading to the locker room, New Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches are the MVP of snacks.

[TJ Holmes]

Your new Sunday kickoff ritual starts here with New Morning Uncrustable sandwiches. Packed with 12 grams of protein.

[Amy Robach]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.