Watch CBS News

Stray Bullet Rips Through Home, Bounces Off Man's Head

ROCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) – Twenty-year-old Josh Demeritt was sitting on his bed in his Rochester, New Hampshire home playing video games Tuesday night when the action came to life.

"Next thing I know I heard a loud noise, and I see some paint flying across the room," said Demeritt. "I see the mark on the wall, I feel something hit me in the top of my head, and I thought somebody threw something in the room at first."

Corey Steven Field
Corey Steven Field. (Photo courtesy: Rochester, NH Police)

Josh had no idea what had just happened.

"I ended up finding the bullet on the floor right next to where I was sitting," said Demeritt.

Police say a neighbor across the street, 25-year-old Corey Field, was trying to clean his gun when he fired.

The path of the bullet from Field's upstairs apartment on Leonard Street is clear. After it cleared a wall of his apartment, it sailed across the street through a window, curtains, and a wall before hitting Josh.

Police say after the Smith and Wesson .40 Sigma discharged, Field went to a nearby laundromat down the street and tried to hide the gun in the snow.

He also hid a casing in a crushed soda can in his apartment. Police say there was nothing prohibiting him from owning the weapon. He is not required to have a permit to possess it in his home.

Bullet In Forehead
The bullet tore through this window before hitting Demeritt. (Photo by Michael Rosenfield-WBZ-TV)

Police say it is very fortunate Demeritt was not seriously hurt.

"He was lucky that the bullet had gone through enough of the structures to run out of energy," said Captain Paul Toussaint of the Rochester Police Department.

Field was arraigned Wednesday on two felony counts.

He has posted $5000 cash bail and has been released pending a court hearing later this month.

A family friend at Field's apartment declined to talk about the incident.

As for Josh, the family he lives with knows the incident could have been a lot worse.

"I think that people should definitely take safety courses and know what they're doing before they handle guns," said Donna Stuart.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.