RENO, Nev. — A man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting and wounding a golfer after an errant ball broke a window at his home.
Jeff Fleming, 53, is accused of firing at a pair of golfers at the 16th hole on Thursday, striking the one who hit the home in Reno. The golfer was treated for minor injuries to an arm and both legs.
The suspect’s neighbors told investigators that it was a “common, everyday deal” for stray golf balls to hit their homes, police Lt. Keith Brown said.
“The neighbors were shaking their heads, and we were shaking our heads, and no one could put rhyme or reason to this (shooting). It’s crazy,” Brown told The Associated Press. “I’ve been an officer for 25 years, and if you’re here long enough, I guess you’ve seen everything.”
The area around the 16th hole at the Lakeridge Golf Course was evacuated after the shooting, police said. Fleming drove to a Reno attorney’s office, where he surrendered without incident.
The lawyer, Larry Dunn, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Friday. Fleming has an unlisted phone number and could not be reached for comment.
Fleming was booked at the Washoe County jail on felony charges of battery and assault with a deadly weapon. He was released early Friday after posting $40,000 bail. He’s scheduled to appear Oct. 4 in Reno Justice Court.
The golfer apparently didn’t even realize he had broken the window, and was looking for his ball when Fleming went to find the golfer with a shotgun, Brown said.
“It’s my understanding he shot first and then started an argument,” he said. “I’m not really sure what finally set him off. The only thing we can come up with is he became angry when the ball shattered the window. The good news is that no one was seriously hurt.”
If you don’t want your home to get hit by golf balls, don’t live right next to a golf course.
If your home is in the line of fire, then you need to get better windows.
MAN!! With my duck-hook I’m sure I don’t play golf in his back yard! Bad enough having the squirrels and chipmunks sqwacking at me all the time!!
LMAO @ duck-hook.
I wonder exactly how close these homes are. I think a golf course would be more liable than the golfers if they don’t have a reasonable buffer zone. I don’t think you can get an honest assessment of everybody’s accuracy before you let them out on your golf course. Take up caddying if you don’t believe me.
I would rather be next to a golf course facing the possibilities of stray balls then to be near a gun range with stray bullets. Looking on the bright side, in this economy the home owner should consider selling used golf balls.
One would hope this poor unstable man will have seen the last of his exercise of the Second Amendment right. But then, he lives in the great western desert – out there where the air is rare and so, apparently for some, is self control.
I can understand the homeowner’s frustration but his reaction was overkill. It is a good thing the golfer was not killed. The shooter could use some “anger management”.
I bet the guy was upset because people probably broke his windows before and never paid. The golf course that I play at that had house next to them had it in the rules that if you damage their property with your shot you have to pay for those damages.
What’s sad, is that they need to make it a rule. That should be common sense, and not need to be expressed as a ‘rule’!
I just can’t seem to find where it is considered appropriate to defend your home against errant golf balls with a firearm. I don’t think his plea will fall on welcoming ears at his court appearance not to mention the civil lawsuit that is sure to follow. Neither will he be defended by the NRA.
Dear Homeowner YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE!!! I Think This is an over kill on your part OMG!! REALLY!
never bring a 4 iron to a gun fight.
if you live next to a golf course, it should be expected that atleast one may stray off, not everyone is a Mickleson. Just puts RESPONSIBLE firearm owners out there in a bad light.
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