Bullet from the air pierces Chesterfield family's home
TL;DR: A bullet fired into the air pierced a Chesterfield County home off Simmons Branch Court on August 29, entering the master bedroom where the resident's daughter was sleeping, prompting investigators to seek information from the public.
Quick facts
- Who: Patrick Wells and his family
- What: A bullet fired into the air penetrated the roof and entered the master bedroom of their home
- When: August 29, 2026, around 6 p.m.
- Where: Simmons Branch Court, behind Matoaca High School, Chesterfield County
The story
On August 29 around 6 p.m., Patrick Wells and his wife were watching television downstairs when they heard what Wells described as "a really loud crack" from overhead. A bullet fired into the air had penetrated the roof of their home off Simmons Branch Court, near Matoaca High School, and lodged in the master bedroom ceiling. Wells's daughter was asleep in an adjacent room at the time.
The small hole in the ceiling marks where the projectile entered. While the property damage is repairable, Wells emphasized that the outcome could have been fatal had the bullet struck his sleeping daughter. Chesterfield County Police are investigating the incident.
Wells urged anyone with information about gunfire in the area around 6 p.m. on August 29 to contact Crime Solvers or Chesterfield County Police. The incident underscores the ongoing hazards posed by firing weapons skyward, a practice sometimes mistakenly believed to be harmless.
The incident mirrors the circumstances that led to Virginia's Brendon's Law, enacted after 7-year-old Brendon Mackey was killed by celebratory gunfire during Independence Day fireworks in Chesterfield County in 2013. That death remains unsolved 13 years later. Under Brendon's Law, firing guns into the air that injures or kills someone is a Class 6 felony carrying 1 to 5 years in prison. Celebratory gunfire that causes no injuries is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. However, enforcement has been limited, with only 11 statewide prosecutions recorded and notably none specifically for celebratory gunfire.
Key players
- Patrick Wells: Resident of the affected home
- Chesterfield County Police: Investigating the incident
Why it matters: The incident demonstrates a real and recurring danger to Chesterfield County residents from uncontrolled gunfire. Bullets fired into the air eventually fall back to earth with lethal velocity, and this case shows how quickly a moment of recklessness can endanger sleeping children and families.
Places
Development timeline
- 20137-year-old Brendon Mackey killed by celebratory gunfire: Death in Chesterfield County during Independence Day fireworks; case remains unsolved [source]
- 2014Brendon's Law enacted: Virginia legislation establishes penalties for celebratory gunfire; Class 6 felony if injury or death occurs, misdemeanor if not [source]
- August 29, 2026Bullet pierces Chesterfield home: Projectile fired into air penetrates roof and enters master bedroom off Simmons Branch Court near Matoaca High School around 6 p.m. [source]
Related links
- Brendon's Law - Virginia firearms legislation
- Chesterfield County Police - Non-Emergency
- Crime Solvers of Metro Richmond
Read the original at WTVR CBS 6 (YouTube) →
Sources
- Bullet fired into the air crashes through Chesterfield County family's home
- 7-year-old killed by random gunfire before July 4 fireworks. His case remains unsolved 13 years later
- Va. lawmakers pass Brendon's Law to toughen celebratory gunfire punishment