KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – Five people are facing criminal charges after authorities say a bullet fired during recreational shooting traveled onto private property and struck a Knox County home.
According to court records obtained by WVLT News, the incident happened around 7 p.m. Sunday when Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home on Sweet Bell Lane following a report of a bullet entering the residence.
The homeowner told deputies that a round had struck the house and become lodged inside a wall.
An investigation determined that Bealer Saxon, Zachary Hodge, Isaac Hipshire, Travis Freundt, and Benton Dawson had been shooting rifles on nearby Beaver Creek Drive at the time of the incident.
According to the police report, the group was firing in the direction of the victim’s property and was unaware that at least one round had traveled beyond the area where they were shooting.
“Responding officers stated that the shooters did not have an appropriate backstop and were shooting in an unsafe manner,” the report stated.
Authorities said the lack of a proper backstop allowed a bullet to leave the shooting area and strike the occupied residence.
No injuries were reported, but investigators said the incident created a dangerous situation for the home’s occupants.
As a result of the investigation, all five individuals were charged with reckless endangerment by firing a gun into a home.
The case remains in the court system.
