St Cloud: Police in Florida say a mother mistook her daughter for an intruder and shot her dead.

Sergeant Denise Roberts, of the St Cloud police, said the mother was asleep when she heard someone enter her home late on Tuesday.

A woman handles a gun at the National Rifle Association annual show in Nashville in April. Credit:Bloomberg

The mother told police she heard footsteps approaching quickly so she fired a single shot. She then discovered the person was her 27-year-old daughter. The daughter was taken to a hospital where she died.

St Cloud police officials say they aren't releasing the names of the mother or daughter since a person in their household is in law enforcement, and Florida law permits the withholding of identities in such cases.