CAPE CORAL, Fla. —
Cape Coral police are investigating an incident on Northwest 21st Terrace where a reportedly intoxicated man was accused of firing an AR-15 into the air Saturday night, alarming neighbors and prompting multiple 911 calls.
Residents initially thought the sounds were fireworks, but police later confirmed they were gunshots. Kathleen Shawlas, a Northwest Cape Coral resident, described what she heard.
“I was hoping it wasn’t gunshots. That’s what I told my husband. It was. And he’s like, no, no. But it was probably more than 20 shots,” Shawlas said.
She added, “It’s like in the movies. Someone was shooting at each other very fast, like, it wasn’t like a pistol, it was some type of automatic gun.”
According to police, neighbors who called 911 were unsure of the source of the gunfire. Officers searched the area and eventually located the homeowner, who they said was reportedly intoxicated and showing his AR-15 to a friend when he fired shots into the air.
Ted Peckham, another resident, saw the police response on his security cameras and expressed concern about the potential danger of firing a rifle in a residential area.
“If somebody discharges an AR-15 or any kind of rifle round in a neighborhood, they discharge it into the air. It could travel anywhere from a mile and a half to two miles and who knows where it’s going to come down?” Peckham said.
Police said they found shell casings on the homeowner’s doorstep and confiscated the rifle.
When asked why the man was not arrested, Cape Coral police said they did not have an answer at the moment but confirmed the investigation is ongoing.
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