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One of several rhesus monkeys that escaped after a truck hauling research animals overturned on Interstate 59 in Jasper County was shot and killed Sunday by a homeowner who said she feared for her children’s safety.
Authorities say two monkeys remain unaccounted for following the crash on Oct. 28.
The homeowner told the Associated Press she saw a monkey in her yard early Sunday and fired from about 60 feet, saying, “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children.”
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a monkey was found on private property and that state wildlife officials took possession of the animal.
Initial reports from local law enforcement described the animals as aggressive and raised concerns about possible pathogens.
Tulane University and other institutions later said the monkeys had not been exposed to infectious agents associated with biomedical research shipments.
The overturned truck and the animals’ ownership and destination remain under investigation.
The response was swift across the county. Multiple agencies, including the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and local law enforcement, have been searching, capturing, or euthanizing animals when necessary; several animals were recovered at or near the crash site.
As of the latest updates, two monkeys were still at large.
Mississippi law removes the duty to retreat in many circumstances and recognizes the use of defensive force when a person reasonably fears imminent death or great bodily harm.
That legal framework often becomes the yardstick for assessing the reasonableness of force in cases where a homeowner claims they acted to protect themselves or others.
Whether a particular shooting is justified still depends on what the shooter reasonably believed in the moment and other facts investigators uncover.
The episode quickly divided online reaction. Some commenters argued the homeowner overreacted; others said she acted prudently given a potentially unpredictable wild animal near children.
For many readers, the decisive facts are simple: a primate escaped from a transport truck, it appeared in a family’s yard, and a parent used lethal force to stop what she perceived as a threat.
Reporting so far shows agencies are treating the animals as potentially dangerous until testing and custody questions are resolved.
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