Police are working to find out who shot into a Sterling home, narrowly missing the homeowner's dog.
The shooting was reported around 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Loudoun County. Felicia Niesciur was standing in her dining room chatting with two friends seated at the table when the drywall suddenly went flying.
"All of a sudden, I saw this poof of white stuff out of the wall and I looked at my friends and said, 'Did you see that?'"
Niesciur called police but while she waiting for them to arrive, she began running the vacuum, tidying up a bit.
That's when she discovered the bullet slug as it clattered into the vacuum. She retrieved it and presented it to the officer.
"It wasn't like a brand new bullet," Niesciur said. "It was broken up a little bit and I gave it to him and he said, 'Yes that's lead."
The sheriff's office canvassed the area but was unable to determine the source of the bullet. Niesciur said the bullet just passed her dog's water dish, narrowly missing his head.
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Word of the incident has started to spread among neighbors but not all are concerned. Christine Sidilau, a mother of two boys who lives just down the block, says the stray bullet doesn't worry her.
"We've lived in this neighborhood for four years. I've felt safe here...I take my sons for walks and I've never felt concerned, never felt unsafe," Sidilau said.
There are woods nearby where it's not uncommon to hear hunters. Niesciur suspects someone might have been playing with a gun or target shooting. She hopes whomever fired the shot will step forward, take responsibility and ease her mind.
"It's very scary," Niesciur said. "I don't think it was on purpose. I think it was an accident but it would be nice if someone would acknowledge that they made a mistake."
