Brother Mistakes 13-Year Old Sister For Intruder And Shoots

Sidney M. Johnson, 20, was visiting his father’s home in Janesville, Wisconsin.  On Wednesday, he heard someone in a bedroom, got his dad’s 9 mm handgun, inserted a magazine, chambered a cartridge, and shot through the door, wounding his 13-year-old sister.  She yelled out his name.  That’s when he realized what had happened.

Officers at the scene found that the 13-year-old had been shot once by her brother.  The bullet hit her right tricep and grazed the right side of her torso.  She was taken to Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center where she was treated and released.

While at the residence, Johnson heard what he thought was someone trying to get into the house through his sister’s bedroom window. Not knowing his sister was home, he feared it was an intruder.  He retrieved his father’s handgun, inserted a magazine and chambered a cartridge.  His sister had gone into the laundry room to get clothes and seeing her brother in the hallway and feeling she was not appropriately dressed, she closed the door.   He shot through the door.

Deputy Chief Dan Davis of the Janesville Police Department said, “Shooting through a door at an unidentifiable target is reckless and unreasonable.”

Johnson was in custody in an emergency detention medical facility, which should be understood as a mental health facility.  Davis said that’s because Johnson is a danger to himself and others.  NBC15 reports that Davis said, “He certainly realizes that he made some very poor decisions and assumptions.”  Evidently, he is devastated with the mistake that he made.  Davis says Johnson will most likely be charged for recklessly endangerment, which is a felony offense.

Davis gives this advice;

Call 911 if anyone thinks they hear an intruder.  It that’s not an option, call out and challenge to identify that as a homeowner or a resident that you are there and that you’re armed. Let that be known before you just arbitrarily shoot through a door.

WIFR provides a video report.