Bullet fired into the air crashes through Chesterfield County family's home

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A Chesterfield County family is counting its blessings after a bullet fired into the air crashed through the roof of their home.

Patrick Wells says the bullet came through his roof and into his master bedroom on August 29, while his daughter was sleeping just a room away. Wells lives off Simmons Branch Court, just behind Matoaca High School.

"My wife and I were downstairs," Wells said. "We were just watching TV and heard a really loud crack. It's like if somebody took a yardstick and smacked it against the table as hard as they could, like that. It's kind of that snap sound."

A small hole in Wells' bedroom ceiling is now a reminder of just how dangerous a bullet fired into the air can be.

Wells says the incident brought back memories of 7-year-old Brendon Mackey, who was attending a fireworks show in Midlothian when he was killed by a bullet police say was fired directly into the air. Following Brendon's death, Virginia enacted Brendon's Law, making celebratory gunfire a felony.

"I'm perfectly fine with people shooting targets and hunting legally and that type of thing, but shooting a round straight up in the air is just irresponsible. And immediately, I'm thinking back to, I can't remember the year, but there was that young boy in Brandermill that got killed by a round during Fourth of July, and you know, so now I have a bullet coming through my roof, and you know, flashbacks of that," Wells said.

Wells says the damage to his home is replaceable, but he knows the outcome could have been much worse.

"I just want people to be aware that you know you might think it's harmless and be having fun and celebratory or whatever and shooting it up, but it's going to come down somewhere. And in this case, we're lucky. It it just damaged property. It didn't hit a person," Wells said.

Wells says anyone with information about who may have been shooting in the area around 6 p.m. on August 29th should call Crime Solvers or Chesterfield County Police.

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