Cops: Guy Unloaded Gun— by Firing at House Next Door

Police in Pennsylvania say a convicted felon accused of shooting a bullet through a neighbor's window told a judge he fired the gun because it was the only way he knew how to unload it. Middletown Detective Patrick Nicastro tells the Bucks County Courier Times that 31-year-old George Byrd IV at first denied being behind the shooting but then acknowledged during his arraignment that he fired the weapon to clear the chamber because he was unfamiliar with guns—despite the three weapons found in his house, reports the Daily Mail. Unfortunately for Byrd, he's barred from possessing firearms because of an earlier burglary conviction.

Authorities say Byrd fired the gun Friday afternoon in the suburban Philadelphia community. No one was injured. Byrd is being held in the Bucks County jail on $20,000 bond. No attorney is listed on court papers. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8. (More shooting stories.)