St. Albans woman sues neighbor who shot at her roof

CHARLESTON - A St. Albans woman is suing a man charged with shooting her roof three times with a rifle.

Debbie C. Brown claims in a lawsuit moved from magistrate court to Kanawha Circuit Court that Brian Lowery petrified her, her son and her son's friend July 23, 2002, by firing at her house.

She is seeking nearly $5,000 in damages and claims her son has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder becaue of the shooting.

In a written statement given to police, Lowery said he was angry that his mailbox had been toilet-papered and eggs had been thrown on his vehicles.

He got a Remington rifle from inside his house and fired three times at Brown's house, where her son Dustin Stopane and his friend Jonathan A. Hill were inside.

Stopane said he could feel the plaster coming down off the roof and hitting him, and he and Hill hid and prayed in the bathroom. After calling the police, Brown joined the boys in the bathtub until they arrived.

Lowery admitted he had seven beers prior to the incident.

Several other boys witnessed Lowery, who was originally charged with wanton endangerment, with a gun.

"We heard a shot and it zoomed past our heads," witness Chris Means said. "I could hear it hitting leaves. All of us took off running towards the trailer park."

Brown is representing herself. Judge Jennifer Bailey Walker has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-591