Police have arrested a man who was practice shooting and accidentally hit a building near a popular New York historic site owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Michael R. Bushart, 23, of Fairport, New York, was arrested in connection with Wednesday’s shooting near the Hill Cumorah Visitors’ Center on State Route 21 in Manchester, according to a New York State Police news release.
State Troopers were dispatched to the Hill Cumorah Visitors’ Center Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. after an apartment window was struck by a bullet. The troopers were on the scene with Ontario County Sheriff deputies when additional shots were fired.
Following an investigation, police found Bushart to be “target shooting” from farmland west of the Hill Cumorah Visitors’ Center, the news release said, and he “unintentionally hit a building,” Finger Lakes Daily News reported.
A view of the farmland to the west from the top of the Hill Cumorah in Manchester, New York. Police arrested a man for target shooting and accidentally hitting a building near the Hill Cumorah Visitors’ Center Wednesday, June 8, 2022.
Trent Toone, Deseret News
“There was a subject in the nearby area, firing a weapon with no ill-intent,” Maj. Brian Ratajczak of New York State Police told ABC 13 in New York. “He is in custody, but it doesn’t appear to be intentional firing upon the building facility.”
Bushart was charged with reckless endangerment, a first-degree felony. Police also served a search warrant and seized a number of long guns. Bushart was arraigned Friday morning and released after being placed on pretrial supervision.
There were about 75 people at the center when the shooting took place, including a large group on a bus trip, according to multiple media reports. The visitors and residents sheltered in place until they could be evacuated to another location. The lockdown was lifted Wednesday at 11 p.m. No injuries were reported.
A substantial force of law enforcement agencies responded to the incident, including NYSP Aviation, Ontario County Sheriff, Wayne County Sheriff, Department of Environmental Conservation Police, FBI and ATF.
Police will continue to investigate, the news release said.