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Errant gunfire causing concern in Johnson County after man hit by stray bullet

Posted at 8:59 PM, Oct 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-21 21:02:16-04

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. -- The sheriff in Johnson County says there's a problem with stray bullets hitting property and even in one case, a person. 

The guns are being fired legally on one person's property, but ending up on another. 

The Johnson County Sheriff is sending a message to gun owners: If you fire a gun on your property, you better make sure the bullets stay on your property. He says that if they end up in someone else's yard, you're responsible for the damage they cause. 

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office has responded to four calls in just the past week, for complaints about stray bullets,.

Kevin Destrampe said he had just gotten home from vacation last weekend when he was hit in the knee by a stray bullet from his neighbor's yard. He said a couple of those bullets even hit his home.

"Couple inches higher it could have been my upper leg and taken out an artery or I could have been bending down for that matter," said Destrampe. "Judging from the other shots that were found around our house and the wall, any of those could have injured somebody."

Incident reports from the sheriff's office show that bullets from Malc Training Institute along U.S. 31 are also suspected of hitting at least one home and possibly a bar. 

The director of training there said he's not taking any more chances. He's changing the direction of the range and increasing the height of the backstops from 10 to 20 feet high.

The sheriff said his office has followed up on all incidents reported. He said Destrampe's case will go to the county prosecutor to decide whether charges will be filed.