Father and two young children almost hit by bullet in yard shot from nearby woods

Chris Casey and his two young children were playing in their Glenville, New York, yard when a bullet hit the ground just a few feet from them, shot by three men with automatic weapons in woods more than 500 feet away.

From the article:

Using a metal detector, Chris was quickly able to find the falling object, lodged in the dirt.

"It took two minutes, and it wasn't that far in.  Out came a bullet, a little over an inch long."

There's a shooting range close by, but, that's not where the bullet came from.  Police say three men were shooting on a property close by, off Sacandaga Road, when a bullet ricocheted off a rock, and ended up in the Casey's yard, just feet away from six-year-old Keller.

"They apologized, and they agreed not to shoot their automatic weapons back there in the woods anymore," said Kristi Casey.

And it turns out, they weren't doing anything wrong, because police say they were abiding by the 500 feet rule.  According to state law:

"It is unlawful to discharge a firearm within 500 feet from a dwelling house, farm building or farm structure actually occupied or used, school building, school playground, or occupied factory or church."

While Kristi says she supports people's right to the second amendment, she doesn't want bullets falling in her yard.

"We have this great yard, we have these woods,we're here for a reason to be able to enjoy the outdoors.  I don't want to live in fear that if I step out in my yard I'm going to get a bullet in my head."

Apparently bullets don't know they are supposed to stop at the 500-foot mark.

UPDATE (3/21/12):  A news video on this case, showing the family and their yard and highlighting the fact that 500 feet is practically meaningless, given that even small-caliber bullets can travel a mile or more.