Bullet 'Mistakenly' Fired Into Home; Could Have Hit 2 Girls: Cops

APPLE VALLEY, MN — A man shot a gun in his townhome recently without realizing it was loaded, according to Apple Valley police. The bullet went into another house, and could have hit two girls who were in their bedroom at the time, authorities said.

On the afternoon of Feb. 2, officers responded to a townhome on a report of an "accidental discharge" of a firearm. There, they met several people, including the person who mistakenly fired the weapon.

No one was injured in the incident, police said.

The man who shot the gun told police he removed his handgun from the safe and unloaded it. He thought the gun was unloaded when he aimed it at a wall and pulled the trigger, police said.

The gun "took him by surprise" because he thought the gun was unloaded, according to investigators.

The bullet went through the wall and entered another townhome, passing through two walls, a dresser in a bedroom, finally coming to rest in another wall.

Two girls had been in the bedroom near the dresser when the bullet went through their bedroom wall and hit the dresser, police said.

"How very fortunate they were not to have been hurt in this incident," Apple Valley police said.

The man who shot the firearm will be charged for reckless use of a firearm, according to authorities.