ST. CLOUD, Fla. – A family in Osceola County said Tuesday that someone has been firing off a weapon in a nearby field, which is putting their neighborhood, and their home, in danger.
Family members found their own house had been struck by a bullet.
Deputies with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office told News 6 they're still investigating what happened after a bullet was discovered on the patio of the home.
The homeowner, Derek Nesmith, just wants people using guns to be more aware of their surroundings, he said.
“... What goes up must come down,” Nesmith said.
Nesmith showed News 6 around the back porch of his house on Hickory Tree Road, where the bullet came in and where it hit the wall. He said it looks like it bounced off a wall before his wife found it lying on the rug.
"She’s like, ‘Come here. I need to show you something,’” Nesmith said. “And I said, ‘OK.’ (It was) very scary because we have children on both sides, ourselves and we have the animals out back.
Nesmith said the family is used to hearing shots go off because they live in a rural area of St. Cloud, but Sunday afternoon, relatives said these shots came too close for comfort -- just past the fence in their backyard where they keep their two horses.
"Three other neighbors reported the same incident (on) the same day,” Nesmith said. “It went on for about an hour.”
His wife was upset by the incident, and posted about it on Facebook, warning others.
"It really drives home that people don't understand the repercussions when they're shooting -- what can be beyond what they're aiming for,” Nesmith said. “This could (have) been a totally different scenario had (another) of us been standing here.”
Nesmith said the family has filed a report with the Sheriff's Office and given deputies the bullet as evidence.