I live in Ohio. My neighbor was drinking heavily and at 545am, he came to my house trying to get in and then started shooting a shotgun at my property. He claimed a ghost told him that it was a purge situation and that I was going to harm his kids and wife. The truth is he has no wife or kids and lives by himself.
I was armed upstairs while my wife and our 15 month old son were locked in the closet as he fired outside. We recorded him trying to get through the fence and shooting at it. He told the police he was aiming at me on the other side of the fence because I had a gun.
I just returned from his bond hearing. They initially set the bond at 250k cash, with GPS monitoring, and he can’t go back to his home. He got a lawyer and got the bond reduced to just 10%. I feel lost in this process. My wife is a mess, I’ve missed a week of work, and every little sound at night feels like a nightmare. We’re terrified. We’re even thinking about moving, but we just put so much money into our forever home like new siding, a new room, and new deck.
I’m asking the forum for advice on what I can do. I’ve increased our home security but we still don’t feel safe. Is there any legal action I can take? At the bail hearing, they only mentioned a F2 felony for shooting into a home. Is there more I can do? He has scared my family and me.
Note: Before this incident, everything was good between us. I even attended his retirement party two weeks ago. We had never had issues with him. He always seemed nice. I had no idea how much he was drinking. Just a day before the shooting, he even drove himself to the hospital thinking he was having a heart attack, and they let him go.
There’s not much to do except let the legal process happen. He’s likely going to prison for some time. It will just take a while.
You might be able to get an order of protection, which could help the police respond more quickly if there’s another incident.
You could also sue him for damages to your property, but that involves dealing with someone who is unstable. I’m not sure the money you may get would be worth the stress.
@Nev
I’m not looking for money for damages. I can fix that. The real issue is he damaged how safe I feel at home now. It’s a shame since he seems to be a successful guy and had a good lawyer at his hearing.
@Voss
I would still suggest looking into restitution. Why should you pay for the damage HE caused? He has a house, so you could put a lien on it to cover costs. Also, consider restitution for your new security measures like steel doors. You should also think about getting therapy for you and your family. It’s not easy to just move on from this. You got this, but don’t hesitate to accept help for you and your family.
@Voss
I’m not a lawyer, but many states allow for pain and suffering, which can include trauma, sleeplessness, etc. Monetary restitution is common, so don’t pass up a chance for it just because you think you can fix things yourself. Your well-being and your family’s should come from your neighbor’s wallet, not yours.
@Voss
Money can help you get back feeling safe. That money can go towards home safety upgrades like bulletproof doors and windows. It could also help you move to a new home. I understand that moving is hard, but it can be tough to heal when you’re still at the place where it all happened. You’ll want funds for therapy too.
Val said:
Did they let him keep his guns? If yes, I’d definitely go to the prosecutor about that.
No, they took the gun he used and he’s not allowed to have any weapons.
Have you talked directly to the prosecutor? Sometimes, having victims speak directly can help. You can share how this has affected you and your family.
I’m surprised there isn’t more than one charge. If the prosecutor hears from you, they may take it more seriously and look for more charges or a stiffer sentence. It can vary a lot though, just so you know.
Also, Ohio has a Victims Bill of Rights, and you have the right to a victim advocate for support. Reach out to the prosecutor’s office for information about that.
You should consider a restraining order or order for protection, whatever it’s called in Ohio. A police report should be made as well. This way, if he comes onto your property again, they can arrest him immediately if you have video evidence.
You might also consider a civil suit against him for the damage to your home and the emotional impact.
Try to make him the one who feels like moving out instead of you.
It sounds like he might have dementia or some mental health issue, or maybe he’s just intoxicated and losing control. Either way, this should be his problem, not yours.
I’m wondering why you didn’t get a chance to speak at his bond hearing. The prosecutor should have represented your fears for safety to the judge before setting bail, instead of letting his lawyer make it seem like a careless mistake.
Ohio has a victim’s compensation fund to help with damages and medical expenses not covered by your insurance. The effects of trauma can show up in many ways down the line for you and your family. You can use it whenever, there’s no time limit.