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Shotgun blast claimed to be accident

Gregory Crofton

A shotgun that sent pellets into an occupied apartment on Glenwood Way Sunday night went off because it’s old and it misfired, said its owner.

“I took it off the wall, unloaded it and showed it to my friend,” said owner Shaun Petrusa, a 40-year-old construction worker. “After I reloaded it I locked the chamber and that triggered it. It just went off. It was an incredible, complete accident.”

The pellets traveled out Petrusa’s open front door and ended up breaking a window inside a neighboring apartment.



Petrusa admitted he had been drinking before the gun fired, but said he knows how to handle guns and this misfire could not have been prevented.

Besides the 1896 Winchester 12-gauge shotgun, officers also confiscated a .44 caliber pistol from Petrusa’s apartment. He said it was a showpiece that he never fired.



The 40-year-old is charged with willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner. He could be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison if convicted of the crime.

Petrusa spent two days in jail before he posted bail. He was arraigned Tuesday, with his next hearing scheduled Oct. 9.


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