GIRARD, Ohio - A Girard mother who accidentally shot her teenage daughter will not face any charges. 

The shooting happened on August 30, when an 18-year-old college student made a surprise visit home to her family. 

When she came through the door, her mother, who was home alone and startled by a noise she'd heard, fired a shot, believing it to be an intruder. 

The teenage girl was shot in the arm and was walking around in the driveway when Girard firefighters arrived on the scene of the Ohio Avenue home. 

Girard prosecutor Michael Scala issued a letter Thursday declining to file any charges, saying the incident did not rise to the level of a crime. 

"The key question would be if the mother was negligent in not identifying her daughter before shooting. Based on the evidence of 1. The surprise visit, 2. The night season and 3. mother living otherwise alone, I am declining to file this charge," Scala wrote. He also said the "castle doctrine" is a factor in the case. The castle doctrine is defined by the National Conference of State Legislatures as saying "individuals have the right to use reasonable force, including deadly force, to protect themselves against an intruder in their home." 

Scala goes on to say in the letter that while he's not filing charges, he does not want anyone to think this incident was acceptable. 

"The owning and firing of any gun at another should only be done with extreme caution," Scala wrote.