Atwater man moving guns nearly shoots neighbor, police say

A 30-year-old Atwater man nearly shot his neighbor over the weekend while he was moving guns around, the Police Department reported.

Police were flagged down just before 10 a.m. Sunday after a bullet came through a bedroom wall at a home in the 1300 block of Vine Street in Atwater, Police Chief Samuel Joseph said.

A woman in the bedroom was not shot, but suffered a minor burn when she picked up the bullet that landed on the bed, according to police.

“This could’ve been a real catastrophe. She literally could’ve been killed,” Joseph said in a telephone interview. “That’s why it’s always, always important to assume any firearm is loaded whenever you’re around guns. Following all the basic rules of firearm safety could’ve prevented this entire situation.”

The man, who was not arrested Sunday, told police he was moving guns around his home when one of them fired accidentally. The round went through at least one wall of the man’s home and a neighboring wall next door.

“A bullet entered a bedroom wall and landed on the bed near an adult female,” investigators said.

The weapon was not registered, police said. It was seized by law enforcement.

Joseph said the man “never intended” to have the weapon go off and said the incident is a good reminder of the importance of firearms safety.

The case will be sent to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office for review. Prosecutors will determine whether the man should be prosecuted for negligence or having an unregistered firearm.

This story was originally published June 5, 2017 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Atwater man moving guns nearly shoots neighbor, police say."