NEW FRANKLIN, Ohio — Terry Riegler and his wife Jill were packing up the car with food to take over to Terry's mother's house Sunday afternoon when they heard gunfire in the distance.
“We heard a large, very loud gunshot and I was like, Oh, they're shooting again," said Riegler. "Jill for whatever reason said, 'Boy that seemed close.'"
It wasn't the first time the couple felt bullets whizzing by; however, this time, it was something they never expected.
The couple said they could see the bullet, which they believe came from a neighborhood located beyond their backyard, hit the gravel driveway and eventually hit Riegler in the leg.
"It felt like somebody took a ball peen hammer and just slammed my leg," said Riegler. "It was just an intense, immediate slam."
Riegler told News 5 the bullet narrowly missed an artery in his leg.
His doctor said he should make a full recovery.
Even though Riegler will be OK from the shooting, not everything is.
“It was pretty traumatic. I'm still shaking from it," said Jill Riegler. "You know, I had to get back in the house and get a towel and put pressure on it, and I'm screaming for them to stop. And the neighbors were hearing me, so a bunch of neighbors were coming. I had to scream at them to get down."
She said it was scary trying to make sure everybody was safe. The couple are gun owners themselves but would like to see people use some common sense and abide by the law.
“I'm sure that nobody was directly trying to shoot me. But just be responsible," said Terry Riegler. "You know you're supposed to have a back stock. You have to be shooting into it. Be accountable and be responsible."
New Franklin Detective Michael Hitchings told News 5 they would like the person who fired the shot to come forward. Hitchings said they could face a third-degree misdemeanor for negligent assault if they don’t.
"If somebody got hit anywhere else in the chest, in the head, they're gonna be dead," said Hutchings. We don't want to see that for someone who is target practicing."
This wouldn't be the first time something like this happened in Summit County. In 2022, a bullet went through the window of a home in Northfield Center Township.
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