Mississippi woman kills escaped research monkey fearing for her children’s safety

This photo shows one of the escaped monkeys sitting in the grass on October 28, in Heidelberg, Mississippi. Scotty Ray Boyd/AP

Heidelberg, Mississippi (AP) — One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a homeowner who says she feared for the safety of her children.

Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son, who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.

Bond said she and other residents had been warned about the diseases the escaped monkeys carried, so she fired her gun.