Bullet enters Alabama family’s home after New Year celebratory gunfire

By LEE PECK

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    MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — Despite Mobile Police sending out a stern warning — the new year was not without celebratory gunfire. A West Mobile family finding that out first hand — after a bullet came through the roof of their home. It happened in the 8100 block of Tanner Williams Road.

“There was lots of gunfire before midnight. You could here it in the distance. I didn’t make it to 12 o’clock. So I was in bed. Everyone was in bed,” recalled Mercedes Janes.

What was a low-key New Year’s Eve for Mercedes and her family quickly turned frantic four minutes after midnight.

“It sounded like someone was banging on my door. And I guess because I was half asleep, it didn’t register they were gunshots. I came opened my door and no one was there so I closed it,” said Mercedes.

Her sister, just down the hall, also heard it. You can hear their conversation on the baby monitor:

“Oh, it’s probably just the cat or something. — But someone was just knocking on my your door? — I felt like someone was banging on my door.”

Moments later, her sister discovered the hole in the hall ceiling of the mobile home and the gold bullet on the floor.

“This is the bullet hole where it came in. You could hear on that baby monitor where it came in. And then it went down and appears to have it the door here,” said Mercedes as she showed us.

Her two children sleeping just feet away. If you listen to the baby monitor, you can here the exact moment the bullet enters the home.

“It could have killed one of my children. That was my biggest fear. I became very angry, but very panicked all at once because is there more going to come through my roof? It’s senseless to me. I don’t understand it,” said Mercedes.

Mercedes called 911. Mobile Police are now investigating, but she’s still fearful it could happen again and has this message:

“It’s not a political message. If you’re a gunowner, be a responsible gun owner. And it’s as simple as that. I’m a firearm owner, but I use it at the range. And if it came to it, I would use it to defend myself. But nothing more than that,” said Mercedes. “I’m not going to have celebratory shooting into the air or into the ground because this is exactly what can happen. Your stray bullet can hit someone. It could hit someone’s home. It could kill someone.”

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