EGF man charged after shots meant for squirrels hit neighbor’s home

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. (Valley News Live) - An East Grand Forks man is facing a felony count and misdemeanor county after shooting a .22 caliber rifle in city limits, and hitting his neighbor’s home.

Michael James Powers is charged in Polk County Court with two dangerous weapons charges: Reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality and Recklessly handle or use.

Court documents say officers were dispatched to a home in East Grand Forks on December 4 after the homeowners noticed bullet holes on the back of the house that appeared to be from a BB. They also noticed a hole in the window of their son’s bedroom and found a bullet on the window ledge inside the room.

Officers inspected the home and noted at least four bullet holes in the siding. They were able to remove two .22 caliber rounds from the siding using a tweezer. Officers say the bullet found inside the boy’s bedroom was also a .22 caliber round. A total of six rounds hit the house; five in the siding and one in the window.

When officers went to Powers’ home, he admitted that he was shooting at a red squirrel on top of his bird feeder and had missed. Court documents say Powers told officers he has been shooting at the bird feeder for a couple of years now and he would like to talk to the neighbor to “make it right.” Powers also told officers if he knew he was hitting the house, he would have stopped.

The officers told Powers that one of the rounds went through a window and into a child’s bedroom before they arrested him. Powers is scheduled to be in court for his initial appearance on December 15.