Scott Jones, 52, of Stafford County, Virginia, shot at his neighbor in response to being asked if he was “OK.” (FOX 40 News – WDBD / Facebook screen shot)
By Amanda Thomason March 31, 2022 at 3:27pm
It’s rare that neighborly behavior results in a near-death experience, but one poor man from Stafford County, Virginia, had just that response to his greeting on Sunday.
The man, whose identity has been kept private, went outside and saw his neighbor, 52-year-old Scott Jones, at around 8:40 a.m. He greeted Jones and then asked if he was OK.
Jones said “no,” but it didn’t end there. He lifted a handgun and started firing at the poor neighbor, and then followed the neighbor as he retreated into his home.
It’s a bit of a miracle that, though the man was shot at, he wasn’t killed, especially as Jones continued firing at him and at his house.
“Jones followed into the victim’s home, continuing to fire indiscriminately toward the victim,” a release from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office read.
“Although there was significant damage to the home from the bullets, the victim and his family were not injured. The victim yelled at Jones to get out, and Jones left the home, walking across the street to another neighbor’s porch.”
Frustrated in his attempts, Jones decided to find a new target.
“Jones began to ring that doorbell and knock and kick on the door,” the release continued. “These neighbors observed Jones had the firearm in his hand, so they reinforced their door and called 911.”
Within four minutes of getting the call, officers were on the scene. At first, Jones cooperated when they told him to drop the gun, but after dropping it, he “suddenly charged” at them.
A taser and some OC spray later, the man was subdued and arrested.
Jones was taken to a hospital and was cleared. He was charged with “attempted malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied dwelling and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.”
He is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.
“Thank you to everyone who called to report this incident and update the location of the suspect,” the statement concluded.
“Excellent work by these courageous deputies to rush to the scene and handle this violent, aggressive suspect.”
There were no known issues between Jones and his neighbors, and the incident was unprovoked. Whether or not Jones was under the influence or struggling with mental health issues has not been shared.
Amanda holds an MA in Rhetoric and TESOL from Cal Poly Pomona. After teaching composition and logic for several years, she’s strayed into writing full-time and especially enjoys animal-related topics.
As of January 2019, Amanda has written over 1,000 stories for The Western Journal but doesn’t really know how. Graduating from California State Polytechnic University with a MA in Rhetoric/Composition and TESOL, she wrote her thesis about metacognitive development and the skill transfer between reading and writing in freshman students.
She has a slew of interests that keep her busy, including trying out new recipes, enjoying nature, discussing ridiculous topics, reading, drawing, people watching, developing curriculum, and writing bios. Sometimes she has red hair, sometimes she has brown hair, sometimes she’s had teal hair.
With a book on productive communication strategies in the works, Amanda is also writing and illustrating some children’s books with her husband, Edward.
Location
Austin, Texas
Languages Spoken
English und ein bißchen Deutsch
Topics of Expertise
Faith, Animals, Cooking