NORMANDY, Mo. — A man told police he was cleaning a loaded weapon when he accidentally fired it into his neighbor's home on Sept. 1. No, he's facing charges and could me sentenced up to a year in prison.
The suspect, 24-year-old Israel Baruch of Bel-Ridge was charged with fourth-degree assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the prosecuting attorney's office announced Friday.
The neighbor heard a loud crash, and her son found damage that was consistent with gunfire, a written release from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said. The release said the gunfire went through the wall.
Officers with the Normandy Police Department were called to the scene and investigated the damage. Based on the trajectory, investigators determined the gunfire must have come from Baruch's home.
"Police contacted the neighbor, the defendant. He stated he was cleaning his gun with ammunition inside and accidentally fired one round," the release from the prosecuting attorney's office said.
The sentencing range for each of the two charges is up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $2,000.
“If you’re not going to practice firearm safety, then you have no business handling firearms. There is absolutely no reason why cleaning your gun should put a bullet in your neighbor’s house and possibly kill someone,” said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
According to the Pew Research Center, 549 Americans were killed by accidental gunfire in 2021.
Gun safety measures, like unloading a firearm before cleaning it, can prevent accidentally firing a weapon. Gun locks are another safety measure that could help with accidental shootings. Here's where to get a free gun lock in the St. Louis area.
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