Waterbury man charged with firing AR-15 off porch, lying to troopers

WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) - An active shooter scare in Waterbury Friday morning turned out to be a local resident firing an AR-15 rifle off his porch, according to police.

The Vermont State Police say they responded to a home on Route 2 just before 7:30 a.m. They say the owner, Joseph Bishop, 46, first claimed he had been in a confrontation with an unknown Black man who then fired a gun. After further questioning, police say Bishop admitted lying to troopers and that he had fired at least one round from an AR-15 into the air.

Police say they received multiple calls from schools and a daycare center in the area about the gunfire.

Bishop was charged with reckless endangerment and providing false information to police.