NORMANDY, Mo. – A resident of north St. Louis is facing charges after accidentally discharging a bullet into his neighbor’s house while cleaning his gun. Israel Baruch, 24, has been charged with two misdemeanors, and the court has set a cash-only bond at $75,000.
According to an investigation by the Normandy Police Department, on September 1, 2023, a woman was inside her home when she heard a loud crash.
One of her sons investigated the source of the noise and discovered a bullet hole in their home. The police were called, and they determined that the bullet had likely originated from the neighbor’s house.
Police then contacted the neighbor, Baruch, who explained that he had been cleaning his gun with ammunition inside and had accidentally discharged a round.
“If you’re not going to practice firearm safety, then you have no business handling firearms. There is absolutely no reason why cleaning your gun should put a bullet in your neighbor’s house and possibly kill someone,” stated St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
