RAINELLE W.Va. (WVDN) – A Greenbrier County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly firing a gun near homes in Rainelle while prohibited from possessing firearms, according to court documents filed this week.
Troopers with the West Virginia State Police responded to a home on Deer Patch Drive Tuesday evening after a resident called 911, reporting gunfire near his property. The resident told troopers he was sitting on his back porch around 7:45 p.m. when he heard several gunshots nearby. He said he then noticed a round strike the floor of his deck, just feet from where he was sitting. The caller turned over what appeared to be a .22 caliber round to investigators at the scene.
Shortly after speaking with the caller, troopers contacted neighbors who said they frequently saw people shooting guns at a house next door. One neighbor showed officers cell phone video footage that appeared to show a man, identified as James Reed, firing a weapon in the yard. Troopers wrote in a criminal complaint that they recognized Reed from previous encounters, including regular visits to the Rainelle Detachment for sex offender registration.
When officers went to the property where the gunfire was reported, no one was home. Later that evening, troopers located Reed at his listed address in Rupert and detained him for questioning. A woman at the home confirmed to troopers that Reed had been shooting earlier that day and gave consent for a search of the residence. Inside a bedroom, troopers found six firearms and large amounts of ammunition.
Reed was transported to the Rainelle Detachment, where he was read his Miranda rights and interviewed. According to troopers, he admitted to firing the gun outside the home on Deer Patch Drive and acknowledged that he knew about the weapons inside his house. Troopers also reviewed the video footage with Reed during questioning.
A criminal history check showed that Reed has a prior felony conviction for fleeing while driving under the influence in 2010 in Greenbrier County. Under West Virginia law, the conviction bars him from owning or possessing firearms.
Reed was arrested on seven counts of being a person prohibited from possessing firearms and one count of shooting across a road or near buildings. He was arraigned and is currently being held at Southern Regional Jail on bond. A preliminary hearing is expected to be scheduled in the coming days. The investigation is ongoing.
