South Carolina nursing home sued after fire ant attack kills senior

An 83-year-old Alzheimer's patient, Shelba Catterton, died following a severe attack by fire ants at the Harmony nursing home in South Carolina. The incident occurred on the night of July 23, when Catterton reportedly left her room unnoticed through an open door and was left unattended in the dark.

Staff discovered her hours later covered in ants. According to legal filings, the patient had been bitten and stung thousands of times, resulting in extensive injuries across her face and back. Catterton passed away on August 7. While an official determination regarding the direct link between the insect attacks and her death is pending, her family has filed a lawsuit against the care facility, seeking accountability for the lack of supervision that allowed her to wander outside.