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American flag may be target in BB gun attacks on Laurel home
A Laurel homeowner believes his American flag is the reason someone has repeatedly fired BB gun shots at his house, leaving damage to windows, doors and siding. After two incidents in recent weeks, he says he removed the flag and is now facing costly repairs while police investigate.
LAUREL, Md. - An American flag may be the target of a shooter firing several rounds of gunshots at a Laurel, Maryland home.
What we know:
The homeowner Mark Hutchison tells FOX 5's Tisha Lewis the shots are from a BB gun and so far, there have been two incidents sending residents inside the home running for cover.
The homeowner lives in a Laurel neighborhood and has called the community home for 25 years. He says in early April he placed an American flag outside to celebrate the Artimis II launch — that's when the shots reportedly started and then most recently another round of gunfire this past Saturday.
After this latest incident, Mark Hutchison says he removed his American flag from the bushes, telling FOX 5 he believes he's being targeted because of the American flag on his front lawn.
He says he's heartbroken.
American flag may be target in Laurel BB gun attacks
Unlike the early April shooting incident that Hutchison says took place around 1am, Hutchison says Saturday's shooting took place shortly after sunset. He says he called Prince George's County police both times and they responded but no projectile was ever found.
Meanwhile, his home, front and back, are riddled with bullet holes.
He tells FOX 5 he's planning to spend thousands of dollars to replace his windows and doors due to safety concerns.
FOX 5's Tisha Lewis spoke with Hutchison at his Laurel home where he relived the tense moments from this past weekend when he and his wife heard gunfire.
"We heard another bap bap and then she screamed holy moly, they're shooting at our house, and we jumped on the floor and called 9-1-1," said Hutchinson.
Hutchison says he believes he's being targeted because of his American flag display.
American flag may be target in Laurel BB gun attacks
FOX 5 reached out to Prince George's County police about these reported shooting incidents. We're awaiting to hear back more details from the police.
We checked in with some neighbors whose homes were not struck by gunfire, and they called the incidents shameful.
Mark Hutchison says police who responded say since they can't find the projectile, the reported shooting incidents are considered vandalism.
The Source: