A child was shot and killed at a New Year's Eve party in Athens early Sunday morning.

According to Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely, officers responded to a home on Buckskin Drive at approximately 12:06 a.m., where they found a five-year-old girl had been shot in the chest.

She was pronounced dead at Athens-Limestone Hospital.

Blakely said the 25-30 people at the party first denied hearing or seeing anyone shooting, but police found several shell casings in the yard where the little girl was shot. Witnesses later said a man fired several rounds in the yard.

People at the home identified the shooter as Fidel Rodriguez Canchola, and said he fled the scene on foot before deputies arrived. Blakely and Investigator Lance Royals located Canchola around 7:20 a.m. and arrested him.

Canchola, 34, is charged with criminally negligent homicide and his bond has been set at $5,000.

Deputies said there was no information to show the shooting was intentional.

The victim's name has not been released.

Updated at 4:26 p.m. with mugshot and charges.