20-02-2025
Man fires gun into air to quiet dogs, shoots bystander's vehicle instead: Deputies
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. – A man from rural Franklin County, Missouri, was arrested and charged for reportedly firing a rifle into the air and striking a vehicle.
According to Franklin County Sheriff Steven Pelton, a witness called the sheriff's office, saying they heard around five to six gunshots that came from the intersection between Walnut and Second streets in Berger, Missouri. A deputy arrived at the scene, saw that the witnesses' vehicle had been struck by gunfire in the 200 block of Market Street, and called 911 for further assistance.
The witness told the deputy that he was driving a utility vehicle on Walnut Street when two gunshots rang out, striking his vehicle in the intersection. The victim directed the deputy to the suspect's house, where he saw a male standing on his back porch with his rifle in hand.
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The deputies took the suspect, Timothy McKinney, 63, into custody at his home. Sheriff Pelton said McKinney confessed to deputies that he'd fired an air rifle to quiet dogs, but he insisted that the weapon was empty.
According to the sheriff, a neighboring resident shared with deputies text messages from McKinney, who apologized for the incident. The resident also told deputies that McKinney was drinking heavily and had been upset by the noise from the four-wheelers, prompting him to fire the rifle into the air. The neighbor gave deputies a Ruger 10-22 rifle, alleged to be McKinney's weapon.
McKinney was transported to a detention center and given a BAC test. His test revealed a .27 blood alcohol level.
The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged McKinney with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. McKinney was jailed on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
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