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Two men are facing wanton endangerment and criminal mischief charges after allegedly breaking in a new assault-style rifle Thanksgiving Day by shooting several things along Four Mile Road.
Charles Brian Steppe, of 5415 Four Mile Road, said he was feeding his cattle Thursday around 6:30 a.m. when someone stopped in front of his home and fired approximately 15 shots, according to a report filed by Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Douglas. Steppe, who was not injured, said he ran for his car and followed the vehicle into Winchester. While Steppe was going for his vehicle, he said he heard the other car stop down the road and fire several more shots.
Steppe told Douglas that he caught up to the suspects’ vehicle on Sheffield Lane and confronted the four young white men inside. When he took the key from the ignition, Steppe said all four people inside the car fled on foot, and he called 911 from a convenience store.
Douglas said he found the vehicle was registered to Brandon Rickett and his grandfather, Wayne Fields. Through the investigation, Douglas learned that Rickett and Zachery Christy were roommates and that Christy recently purchased an AR-15 rifle. Douglas also found .223-caliber ammunition inside the vehicle and nine spent .223 shell casings at the scene on Four Mile Road.
Douglas said he interviewed Rickett, who said they were riding around and drinking but denied shooting at anything.
Later, Christy met with Douglas and admitted to shooting the rifle at several things, including the security light at Steppe’s property, a road sign and a hill. He surrendered the rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun to the sheriff’s office.
Douglas and Christy were both charged with first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief.
Contact Fred Petke at fpetke@winchestersun.com