By Guy Page
A Berlin teenager is facing multiple felony charges after police say he fired a BB gun from an apartment window, striking a person and damaging vehicles across the street at an assisted living facility. The incident occurred April 14 at the Fox Run Apartments and nearby Chestnut Place, according to Berlin Police.
Angie Harbin, executive director of Downstreet, which owns Fox Run, said the incident is living proof of the need for the Vermont Senate to pass H.772, which (among other things) streamlines the eviction process for violent tenants. The bill was reviewed by Senate Judiciary Tuesday afternoon.
The 18-year-old, identified by police as a youthful offender, was arrested April 15 and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, and four counts of unlawful mischief. Police said one individual was struck by a pellet while others reported being shot at as they entered the building.
The suspect was held on $1,500 bail and transported to Northwest Correctional Complex. He is scheduled to appear in Vermont Superior Court, Washington Criminal Division, on April 16 to answer to the assault and endangerment charges.
Police said officers responded to reports of damaged vehicles in the Chestnut Place parking lot and people being targeted with a BB or pellet gun. Investigators determined the shots were fired from an apartment at Fox Run, which faces the assisted living facility’s entrance and parking area.
Officers canvassed the area and identified the suspect after learning he had access to BB or pellet guns in his apartment. Following interviews with the suspect and a roommate, police established probable cause for arrest the following day.
Harbin said the incident underscores ongoing safety concerns at the property and the difficulty of removing tenants who pose a risk. She said Fox Run, an affordable housing development opened in August 2025, has experienced an elevated police presence tied to “a small number of residents with repeated and escalating lease violations,” along with non-residents contributing to unsafe conditions.