A 51-year-old woman shot and killed a friend, who showed up at her New Jersey house for a surprise visit and startled her. The woman told them she was talking on the phone late Thursday with 50-year-old Kelvin Watford, who said he was returning from a trip and wasn't nearby, authorities said.


She  then heard a dog barking and noises outside her Hamilton Township home. The woman told authorities she got her gun when she heard someone inside her home and, while still on the phone, opened her bedroom door, saw a shadow and fired a single shot, NJ.com reports. 

Officers found Watford lying at the bottom of the stairs. He died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

The woman called police at around 11.20pm. 

The Mercer County prosecutor's office said an investigation is ongoing, but it appears the killing was an accident, 

It said in a release: 'Although the investigation is still in the early stage, preliminary indications are that the homicide was accidental.'