One of the monkeys that escaped after a truck overturned in Mississippi has been shot and killed by a mother who feared for her children’s safety. Jessica Bond Ferguson says she woke up after her teenage son told her he thought he saw a monkey in their yard near Heidelberg.
The escape happened when a truck carrying research monkeys crashed, releasing six into the area. Officials warned they could be aggressive and dangerous, leaving residents on alert.
Ferguson says she grabbed her firearm and stepped outside, where she saw the monkey about sixty feet away. She fired once, and when the animal did not flee, she fired again, causing it to fall. She says she had already called authorities and was told to keep watch until officers arrived.
Ferguson said she acted out of fear for children in the neighborhood. “If it attacked somebody’s kid and I could have stopped it, that would be a lot on me,” she shared. The incident ends part of the search effort as officials continue tracking the remaining monkeys.