A Chilton County woman was airlifted to UAB hospital on Saturday morning after her husband accidentally shot her in the back.

Chilton County Sheriff Kevin Davis said that authorities received a call around 9:30 a.m. Saturday from the 5000 block of County Road 51 of a man who had shot his wife with a single bullet in her back while unloading his small caliber handgun.

“We are investigating this incident as an accident,” Davis said.

Although Davis said the woman was conscious and alert when she left the scene, he did not know the status of her condition on Monday.

“We don’t expect any charges for this incident,” Davis said.

Davis stressed the importance of gun safety and paying attention to where the gun is pointed while being unloaded.

“Be aware of where the barrel of the gun is being pointed at the time you are unloading the gun,” Davis said. “Accidents are not intentional, but it is a good reminder to pay attention to where you are pointing the barrel. If you end up having something go wrong then having the gun pointed at a safe direction like the ground can prevent people from getting hurt.”