My daughter lives in a barndominium out in the country. On Dec 21, she had gone to the grocery store and upon returning home, proceeded to start putting up her groceries. While toting a couple of jugs of water into the house, she heard an odd noise inside the house and then looked over to see a hole in her back kitchen window. Actually, it was holes, plural, in a double paned window. She knows that something isn't right and drops to the floor. After a few moments, she realizes that her home was struck by a stray round. She walks over to the wall opposite the kitchen and, sure enough, there's an exit hole. She walks outside and sure, enough, there's an entrance hole in the outside wall. She's pretty shook up, she called my wife and I and also called the Sheriff's office. She's also fairly sure that the shot came from a neighbor who has a shooting berm about 270 yards away. We were only a couple of miles away, and by the time we got there, the deputies were on the scene. In amongst the pieces of glass outside from the double paned window, daughter found the spent full metal jacket round. Looked like a pistol round, maybe .40 S&W. She gave a statement to the deputies, who took the spent round. They, in turn, went to talk to prospective perp, who apparently admitted that they (never said who or how many) were shooting earlier. Deputies did nothing else but did tell my daughter that a detective would be in contact. Detective did call but was not particularly encouraging in what could be done criminally. They have the round but made it sound like there was no way that they could tie it to any one shooter. I was able to go back by the house yesterday, and inserted a wooden dowel into the bullet hole, and it does point back towards the suspected perp's property. I think that the round penetrated the wall, and then tumbled across the interior of the barndo before striking the kitchen window. My daughter said when she picked up the round, that it had a little bit of flattening/deformation on it. If she had been crossing the kitchen at same time as round went through, she would have been struck. Oh, and forgot to mention, my daughter's fianc had been out at the site about a year ago, putting in a culvert, and HE could hear rounds whizzing overhead coming from same general direction of perp's property. He called non-emergency Sherrif's office number to report it, but nothing was really done.
So, here's my questions - (1) has something like this happened to any of you? (2) if the round did come from where we think, isn't the property owner liable (civilly) even if we don't know who shot? Nearby folks have also indicated to daughter that they're pretty sure they know whose property it was. (3) if the county won't proceed with charges (reckless discharge, bullet crossing property lines, etc) what should she do next?
Thanks for all feedback.
So, here's my questions - (1) has something like this happened to any of you? (2) if the round did come from where we think, isn't the property owner liable (civilly) even if we don't know who shot? Nearby folks have also indicated to daughter that they're pretty sure they know whose property it was. (3) if the county won't proceed with charges (reckless discharge, bullet crossing property lines, etc) what should she do next?
Thanks for all feedback.
