WORTHINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 24) - Someone shot at a carload of teenage girls, critically wounding one of them, after some of them had stepped near a house that had been rumored by fellow students to be haunted, police said.

A man who lives in the house, Allen S. Davis, was arrested Wednesday in the shooting of 17-year-old Rachel Barezinsky the night before. He told reporters Wednesday from jail that he was trying to drive off trespassers and didn't intend to hurt the girls.

Barezinsky remained in critical condition Thursday at Ohio State University Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said.

Barezinsky's aunt, Tina Wedebrook, told reporters Wednesday that the girl had surgery to relieve swelling in her brain and had been able to squeeze visitors' hands, but was having trouble moving the left side of her body.

Davis' home, across from a cemetery and overgrown with trees and weeds, had a reputation among local teens for being haunted. Students at Thomas Worthington High School in suburban Columbus had been daring each other to knock on the door or go in the yard, police Lt. Doug Francis said.

Barezinsky and two of her friends got out of their car parked near the home about 10 p.m. and took a few steps onto the property, Francis said. They jumped back in when a girl still in the car sounded the horn, and they heard what they thought were firecrackers as they drove away, he said.

The girls drove around the block, and Barezinsky was struck in the head and shoulder while sitting in the car as they passed the house again, Francis said. The other girls were not injured.

Hundreds gathered on the high school football field Wednesday night for a vigil for Barezinsky, a cheerleader at the school of about 1,700 students.

Police said Davis, a self-employed nonfiction writer who lives with his 64-year-old mother, told investigators he was aiming for the car's tires.

Davis, 40, appeared before a judge Thursday on five counts of felonious assault. His bond was set at $500,000.

Davis told reporters Wednesday he had prepared the rifle after numerous instances of trespassing.

"It's really something how homeowners defend themselves and the way the laws are written, we're the ones brought up on charges while the perpetrators get little or nothing," Davis said.

Francis said Davis told investigators he had never called police about any problems with trespassers.

---------------------------------------------------

I can't beleive he shot at them especially since they were leaving. Anyways don't he know if he shoots at they're tires that the car could had flipped killing them all. Hopefully the girl comes out in good health when this is all over and maybe next time the guy will learn they're lesson and the girls will learn to stay away from private property.
Very beautiful girl. Hopefully it don't scar her!!

Link

I can't believe he said the perpetrators get "little or nothing" refering to punishent. SHE'S DEAD!

Ugh, this is a sad story.

Shes not dead, shes in critical condition.
And this is all just a horrible muck up, I think shooting was a bit extreme-But certainly not unjustified. Even if the results were tragic. Personally I would have opted for firing off blanks.

Hmm... She must have been a preppy snob because the town sees to be 'coming together' for her. Perhaps if her and her friends weren't so stupid this wouldn't have happen.

Now to the shooter... What the hell was he thinking? He could have shot in the air or something.

No innocent people in this story...

I totally agree Kratos. But anytime something like this happens unless you live in L.A. or New York then a vigal usually gets held. But I agree about no innocents. She is now paying for a sad mixup. She should have known better. But yeah, he could have shot up in the air or put up a sign that says 'NO Tresspassing on property, pass at your own risk' or something like that and yet I find it weird that he says that no justice is done for perpretrators yet he has never went to the police about this before.

I would have shot too... Maybe not directly at the car though. Don't screw around on people's property.

Like Kratos said, no innocent people in this story. First and foremost the girls were in the wrong by trespassing, putting themselves in a dangerous position. Even if there's no "No trespassing" posted it doesn't change the fact that entering private property is a crime. People have the right to live in peace. However, shooting at the car is it was driving away was not the brightest of acts. If this man was constantly bothered with teens trespassing then why wasn't there a "No trespassing" sign posted at the edge of the property? Why had he not informed local police of such incidents?

I hope the young lady recovers and she and her friends learn something from all this.

I'm not sure I care what happens to the shooter.

Sheees it's tuff overthere in the US...

I can tell you if that would've happened here in Denmark this man could look forward to the rest of his life in Jail.

Here we don't shoot at tresspassers at all i mean that's just insane to do.

I could understand him if he was beeing assulted within his own home, but some teenage girls having a little prank out in his yard.

Get a watchdog for christ sake and start shooting if you're really in danger, shooting at people for less is just totally bonkers and away from our mentality overhere.

He completely ruined that girls life.

Yes... because they often carry blanks with them... right at the top of their magazines...

crazy son of a b****

Same here, but its unfair in another way because we can't do a thing to defend our properties, not allowed to and it sucks....If an intruder gets hurt on your property the scumbag can sue you! Touch an intruder and you'll be seeing Jail time...

You're permitted to use reasonable force to defend yourself. It's 'excessive' force which is illegal.

How was he supposed to know it was only teens having a prank and not a murderer or thief? He didn't aim and shoot at her, she was hit accidentally. If you don't live in the US and don't understand the right to bear arms and protect your belongings, it doesn't automatically make your way correct. He'll have to live with what he's done the rest of his life. Prison should be for people who commit crimes intentionally, not accidentally.



Yeah, I never understood that whole 'squatter's rights' thing England has. That is a bizarre concept I cannot grasp.

Does that outrule hitting an intruder over the head with a frozen porkchop or something like that? because golf clubs, baseball bats and cricket bats are deemed harmful weapons in that situation, doesn't leave much else you can use....

I'm not sure that 'reasonable' force exists. I mean come on how is someone say like myself at 5ft 3 supposed to use reasonable force against a big 6ft burly intruder. Even these mace sprays are illegal, if you used one it gives the intruder rights to sue/charge you. It's a joke I think!

Yes the squatters rights thing is weird, but it does at its best protect people from being made instantly homeless if they are renting. At its worst it's a nightmare for the Landlord and costly for them if they have people from hell tearing up there property.

In Scotland it extends to the countryside and land as well. Anyone is permitted to walk anywhere without tresspassing.

I totally agree. The house was rumoured to be haunted. I mean its not as if they were trying to hurt someone or harm someone in the house. They were just getting spooky and trying to scare themselves.

This guy needs to be put away for life.

I know things are tougher in the US, i just wanted to point out how different it is.

Still i think there are other more humane ways to guard yourself than going off shooting into thin air not knowing wth your gonna hit.

I know i wouldnt ever fire a weapon towards anyone except if i felt extremely threatened on my life and i was assaulted WITHIN my own home. And if it was a murderer or burglars i don't think they would've driven away like that.

The fact they were driving away dosnt make it better.

But you're right, he has to live with it himself, i hope he does so in regret.

Anvil-the whole matter of the fact is that the girls were driving away. They obvisouly intended him no harm so why would he go to the point in shooting at they're car. I wouldn't justify that an accident cuz him owning guns should know that anything can happen and has happned and this is a example of that.
He intended to shoot at they're car but says he didn't intend to hurt someone. Ya right!!
As a gun owner then he knows what the dangers are-especially if he fires at someone. So he should be held responsible-and the fact that he complains it's happened yet as never reported the incident goes to show that alot of this could had been prevented.

ok well first, if u get shot in the head ur either dead or a vegtable which is still considered dead since there is no hope for recovery

Hmm.... strange how we have all these tales of morons shooting people for no good reason.... even though it is a right for americans to own fire arms the regulations need to be looked at for how one obtains the firearm.... and perhaps self defense is something that should be taught in schools...... so there are better ways then the gun to defend ones self

This situation was nothing that a fence and a dog could not have cured.
He sounds guilty as hell of attempted murder to me.

Have you seen a photo of the shooter?

I think in this case, the pic speaks a thousand words.

Nutcase..x1000

[attachmentid=28028]

Someone who puts a bowl on there head to cut their hair at that age has got to have something wrong with them... he's probably 8 years old inside....

The way I'd resolve a problem like this is with my hard 45 inch maple shillelagh, tall thickets of hawthorne or blackthorne, and one of those Mastiff dogs. I doubt even Jehovah's Witnesses would brave my door.

I was about to comment on how awesome his hair is.

Honestly! A couple of teenage girls giggling about being on your lawn isn't a threat enough to necessitate shooting at them! I can understand that, if this house is rumoured to be haunted, this probably isn't the first time people have trespassed, but I'd say that getting out a gun was a bit over the top.

Couldn't he have just opened the door and yelled obscenities at them? If the girls were already afraid of what was in the house, I'd think that a man (with such an 'interesting' haircut) shouting at them probably would have gotten rid of them just as quickly, and no one would be in a hospital or jail cell now. I'd say it was bad judgement on all sides, with a sad result.

I see everyone's point of view.

This guy doesn't look like he's playing with all 52 cards, so there's your answer right there.

I can't honestly say that if I was constantly plagued with trespassers I wouldn't be tempted to shoot into the air. But I don't have a gun and I'm not plagued with trespassers and my hair is not cut with a bowl.

I have a gun and I've never shot at anyone even if they deserved it.