New York Man Dad Fired Crossbow at Wife. He Killed His 3-week-old Daughter Instead.

A father in New York is accused of murder after his 3-month-old baby daughter died after she was shot with a crossbow.

Around 5:14 a.m. on June 26, deputies with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Colesville about a woman and infant shot, NBC News reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, Patrick D. Proefriedt, 26, fired a bolt at his wife, who was holding their daughter, Eleanor M. Carey, after the couple got into a dispute.

Officials said the baby was hit by the bolt, which traveled through her upper torso and out her armpit into her mother’s chest.

“Proefriedt allegedly removed the bolt and attempted to stop the woman from calling 911, then fled the scene in a red 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck before responding deputies arrived,” the sheriff's office said in the statement obtained by NBC News.

The infant died from her injuries, while the mother, who authorities did not identify, was being treated at an area hospital.

The sheriff’s office said the suspect, Proefriedt, was located in woods not far from the family’s home, arrested and charged with second-degree counts of murder and attempted murder as well as first-degree criminal contempt for violating an order of protection.

Officials said the suspect “had a history of domestic incidents with the victim and an active Stay Away Order of Protection in place.”

“This is one of the most heartbreaking and senseless crimes committed in this community in recent memory,” Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar noted of the case. “Our thoughts are with the family of this innocent 3-week-old girl, Eleanor Carey.”