Collier County teen shot in man’s close gun practice

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NAPLES, Fla. – Collier County deputies arrested a Golden Gate Estates man after his alleged gun-shooting practice resulted in an injury to a 14-year-old girl.

Herold Lanham, 21, is facing a felony charge for shooting a missile into a building and a misdemeanor for the discharge of a firearm in public.

The 14-year-old, Deborah Ledesma, said people have called deputies about Lanham before and neighbors complained that their homes have been hit with bullets. Ledesma’s home had been hit three times before.

“I just want them to stop, it’s not right. They have the cops called on them before, that should get a message to them,” she said.

But Sunday, Lanham was shooting again and this time Ledesma got hit. The teenage girl said she was hearing shots and went to tell her mother to move when a bullet rang through her home.

“The window shattered in my face and then I thought I just got cut,” she said.

The bullet that hit the teenager is still lodged in her hand, which was covered in a cast Monday. Her injuries require surgery, but she said she believes she saved her mom from being hit in the head.

“I stopped it from hitting my mom,” Ledesma said. “Broke two bones and a tendon so I can’t move my finger and the bullet is still in there, so they have to take that out.”

Landham was seen walking out of jail Monday evening. His bond was set at $15,000, according to police reports.

Ledesma said she does not feel safe and is upset that a close call could have been avoided.

“It took a 14-year-old getting shot to get them to stop,” she said.

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