A Marysville man whose target practice allegedly sent a stray bullet into a crowded youth sports complex now faces criminal charges. The Union County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday, November 9, 2026, that Jacob DeJarnette, 27, of Marysville has been charged with negligent assault, a third-degree misdemeanour, and inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanour, after forensic testing matched the recovered bullet to a handgun seized from his property. The charges are allegations; DeJarnette is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Source: Marysville Matters
The case reaches back to the evening of October 6, 2026, when families at the Union County Sports Complex were evacuated after gunshots were heard and a man was struck in the shoulder by a bullet that, remarkably, did not break his skin. More than a month of forensic work by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) sits between that frightening evening and this week's charges.
Source: NCuffs
October 6: shots heard, complex evacuated
At approximately 7:05 p.m. on October 6, 2026, the Union County Sheriff's Office received multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots near the Union County Sports Complex at 16000 Simmons Lane in Marysville. Deputies from the sheriff's office, officers from the Marysville Division of Police, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and personnel from the Marysville Fire Department all responded, and the complex was evacuated while the area was secured.
Source: Union County Sheriff's Office
Officers determined that a male victim had been struck in the left shoulder by a stray bullet. According to the sheriff's office, the projectile had lost so much velocity that it did not penetrate his skin, leaving a red mark before falling to the ground — a detail that turned a potential tragedy into a warning. Officers recovered the bullet at the complex and preserved it as evidence for forensic firearm examination.
The investigation: from Waldo Road to the BCI laboratory
As deputies worked outward from the complex, they located a man on Waldo Road who had been target shooting on his private property. Based on the trajectory of the round and the distance between the property and the sports complex, investigators believed the stray bullet had originated from that target practice. The man's firearm was secured for testing, and the sheriff's office said at the time that he was fully cooperating with the investigation.
The recovered 9mm bullet and the seized handgun were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. According to the sheriff's office, BCI's firearms examiners confirmed that the bullet recovered at the sports complex had been fired from the seized weapon, identified as a Sig Sauer P320 Raider Flux handgun. Detectives concluded that DeJarnette had been target practicing behind what the sheriff's office described as a poor backstop, allowing rounds to travel beyond the intended shooting area, and that the shots were not intentionally directed toward the sports complex.
The charges and what they carry
Negligent assault, a third-degree misdemeanour under Ohio law, covers causing physical harm to another person by means of a deadly weapon through negligence. Inducing panic, charged here as a first-degree misdemeanour, covers conduct that causes the evacuation of a public place. Marysville Matters reported that if DeJarnette is convicted on both counts, he could face up to 210 days in jail and $1,250 in fines under Ohio law. He is scheduled to appear in Marysville Municipal Court on November 23 at 8 a.m.
The victim was struck in the shoulder and the bullet did not penetrate his skin. Sheriff's investigators say the outcome could easily have been far worse, and the case has become a local talking point about backstops, property lines and how far a rifle or handgun round can travel from a backyard range.
Background: backyard shooting and the reach of a bullet
Union County, northwest of Columbus, mixes fast-growing suburbs with farmland, and recreational target shooting on private land is common. Safety guidance from shooting-sports organisations is consistent on the point at the centre of this case: a shooter is responsible for every round fired, and a proper backstop — an earthen berm or similar barrier that stops bullets completely — is the basic safeguard that keeps practice rounds on the property. A handgun bullet that misses or passes a weak backstop can remain dangerous at distances far beyond a typical lot line, which is why investigators reconstructed the trajectory from Waldo Road to Simmons Lane before filing charges.
What happens next
DeJarnette's first court date is November 23 in Marysville Municipal Court, where he will be arraigned on the two misdemeanour counts and enter a plea. The sheriff's office has not announced any additional charges, and no trial date has been set. For the families who were evacuated from the complex on October 6, the filing closes the investigative chapter of a night that ended, by good fortune, with a red mark instead of a hospital ward.