Matthew Wilson and Katherine Shepard on the bed where he was shot
(Picture: a)A British astrophysicist was killed by a stray bullet which pierced a wall and hit him in the head, US authorities have confirmed.
Dr Matthew Wilson, 31, from Chertsey in Surrey, had only landed in Atlanta two days before the freak incident occurred.
He died while in bed with his girlfriend Katherine Shepard at 2am.
Sergeant Jacob Kissel, from the Brookhaven Police Department, said the bullet “travelled through the woods and entered his apartment”.
He said it was the first incident “of its kind” and described it as an “alarming” and “tragic event”.
Sgt Kissel confirmed that the stray bullet had travelled less than 100 yards (91 metres) and entered through an exterior wall of the apartment.
He said: “The two apartment complexes where the gunfire took place and where Matthew was staying, they’re separated by a patch of woods, so they back up to each other,
"We’re saying it’s the reckless discharge of firearms from one apartment complex and the stray bullet travelled through the woods and entered his apartment."
The scientist was staying with his physicist girlfriend in Brookhaven, 10 miles north of Atlanta.
When officers arrived, they found the victim lying in his bed with a single gunshot wound to the head.
Dr Wilson, who had previously been a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia State University, was taken to hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.
Sgt Kissel added: “We’re receiving tips from the public and our investigator team has been working around the clock to ensure that we’re tracking down the individuals that are responsible.
"Even though we believe that it was a random act and complete reckless discharging of firearms, we’re still approaching it as a homicide.”
