Crime & Safety

Owner of Gun That Fired Stray Bullet at Passing Cyclist Appears in Court

The man is being charged with a class one misdemeanor.

John Albers of Herndon, who was loading his firearm inside his home when it accidentally discharged a bullet that struck a passing cyclist on June 22, appeared in Fairfax County General District Court recently.

Police originally reported that Albers was arrested and charged with "willfully discharging a firearm in a public place, resulting in bodily injury," which is a class-six felony, and can be punishable by one to five years in prison and up to $2,500 in fines in Virginia.

According to court documents, however, Albers appeared in court on Sept. 11 under charges of "reckless handling of a firearm," which is a class-one misdemeanor, and can be punishable by up to one year in prison and/or up to $2,500 in fines, but does not always result in jail time.

The victim, whom police have not identified, was riding his bike in the 1200 block of Summerset Drive in Herndon around 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 22 when Albers' gun accidentally discharged from inside the home, striking the victim in the abdomen.

Herndon Police reported that the victim was transported to the hospital and underwent surgery.

Albers was transported to the Adult Detention Center, where he was charged and then released.

Albers is due to appear in court again on Dec. 11.


FOLLOW HERNDON PATCH FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS!

Facebook | Twitter | Daily & Breaking News E-mail Updates

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.