A quiet evening of crocheting in a Bloomington living room turned into a near miss earlier this week when a woman says she was struck by a bullet that tore through her apartment wall. The round had lost most of its punch and did not break her skin, but police say it came from next door, where a 21-year-old neighbor had been drinking and handling a handgun. He is now facing a felony criminal recklessness charge and has been released on bond while he waits for a June 18 court hearing.
How police say the shot happened
According to WKRC Local 12, investigators identified 21-year-old Kaleb Ford as the neighbor behind the shot. Ford allegedly told officers he had been drinking Jim Beam while trying to take apart a handgun in his apartment. Police say he reported that the weapon went off when he tried to remove the slide, sending a 9mm round through his dining room wall and into the adjoining unit.
Officers also noted that Ford had a small cut they believe was caused by debris when the bullet fired, WKRC Local 12 reports.
Victim's discovery
Per WXIN/FOX59, the woman told dispatchers she was in her living room crocheting when she noticed a new hole in her kitchen wall. She then spotted a 9mm bullet on the floor next to her chair.
The station reports the round had shed most of its velocity by the time it hit her, so it did not penetrate her skin, but it still caused pain. When the woman looked through the fresh hole in the wall, she said she saw someone on the other side. She chose not to answer the door when there was a knock. Police later say they saw the suspect standing at a screen door at his unit, according to WXIN/FOX59.
Evidence, arrest and court date
WKRC Local 12 reports that officers say Ford tried to break up and hide key pieces of evidence before they arrived. According to the station, police allege he put the handgun in one room, left the magazine in another, and discarded a spent shell casing. Investigators also say he taped a license plate over a bullet hole in his dining room wall while they were on scene and watching.
A breath test at the apartment reportedly showed Ford had a blood alcohol content of 0.09 percent, WKRC Local 12 notes. He was arrested on a felony criminal recklessness charge, posted bond, and is scheduled to appear in court on June 18.
What criminal recklessness can mean in Indiana
Under Indiana law, criminal recklessness covers conduct that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury. Prosecutors often use the statute in cases where firearms are handled negligently or discharged in a reckless way. The law is codified at Indiana Code §35-42-2-2, as published by Justia.
Depending on circumstances such as whether a deadly weapon was involved or someone was seriously hurt, criminal recklessness can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Courts have applied the statute when bullets are fired into occupied homes or other places where people are likely to be present. The Indiana Lawyer has highlighted prior cases where the law was used for reckless discharges into occupied spaces.
