A Putnam County man is facing four felony charges and one misdemeanor charge after allegedly firing a gun indiscriminately near a bridge south of Worthington while three children were nearby, placing them at what a probable cause statement describes as substantial risk of harm. John Thomas Ford is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, armed criminal action, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful use of a weapon by exhibiting it in a threatening manner, and a misdemeanor count tied to discharging a firearm along a highway.
According to KTTN, which cited online court records, the incident allegedly occurred on June 27 near a bridge about a half-mile south of Worthington, a rural village in southeastern Putnam County that recorded a population of just 47 residents in the 2020 U.S. Census, according to Ballotpedia. Court records cited by the station allege Ford fired a weapon indiscriminately in the area and discharged shots on, along, or across a public highway. The probable cause statement further alleges Ford displayed a firearm in an angry or threatening manner in the presence of at least one other person, and that his actions placed three children at substantial risk of harm to their lives, physical safety, or health.
Felon-in-Possession Charge Tied to Past Convictions
The firearm possession charge against Ford stems from prior convictions in other states. Court records show Ford pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in 2005 in Clark County Circuit Court, and he also has a conviction for second-degree criminal mischief out of Jefferson County, Iowa, district court, per the same court records cited by the station's report. Under Missouri law, a prior felony conviction from any U.S. state permanently disqualifies a person from possessing firearms in the state, regardless of how much time has passed since the original conviction, according to St. Louis Criminal Defense.
That felon-in-possession count is classified as a Class C felony under Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.070, carrying a penalty range of three to ten years in state prison and fines of up to $10,000, as explained by LegalMatch. Separately, federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) also bars convicted felons from possessing firearms, carrying its own penalties of up to 10 years in prison independent of any state prosecution, according to Rose Legal Services.
Mandatory Minimum Looms Over Armed Criminal Action Count
The most significant legal exposure in the case comes from the armed criminal action charge. Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.015 classifies that offense as an unclassified felony carrying a mandatory minimum prison sentence of three years, which under § 571.017 must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed for the underlying felony, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Armed criminal action cannot stand alone as a charge under Missouri law — it must be attached to an underlying felony committed with or through the use of a deadly weapon, per the Benjamin Law Firm.
The child endangerment count against Ford is charged as first-degree endangering the welfare of a child involving substantial risk, which under Missouri Revised Statutes § 568.045 is generally a Class D felony carrying up to seven years in prison, though it can escalate to a Class C or B felony if physical injury or serious physical injury occurs, according to Justia Law. Two troopers sustained minor injuries from shattered glass and gravel during the incident.
Weapons Display and Highway Discharge Counts
Ford also faces a charge of unlawful use of a weapon for allegedly exhibiting it in an angry or threatening manner. Separately, he faces a misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon charge tied to allegedly discharging a firearm along a highway or into an outbuilding. Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.030.1 specifically prohibits discharging or shooting a firearm on, along, or across a public highway, according to Kirsch and Kirsch.
The case is being handled in Putnam County, part of Missouri's Third Judicial Circuit, where circuit and associate circuit court proceedings take place at the county courthouse in Unionville, according to the Putnam County MO Sheriff's Office. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek any sentencing enhancements or whether federal authorities will review the case under federal felon-in-possession statutes.
