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Neighbors’ dispute over firewood leaves 3 people shot

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) – Three neighbors are hurt and a police officer is on administrative leave after a police-action shooting.

It happened Friday afternoon on East 36th street in Anderson.

“It was terrifying,” said Larry Bird, who witnessed the shooting from his front yard. “I could hear the bullets hitting.”

Anderson police say the shooting was over firewood.

Witnesses say the situation became even more bizarre when police arrived.

“The suspect brandished a hand gun and proceeded to fire several shots into the air,” said Sgt Chad Boynton with Anderson police. “He then pointed the gun at the officer at which point in time the officer fired upon the suspect striking him multiple times.”

Police say the suspect is Atul Navalo. The victims, Daniel Dollar and Howard McCoy, were next door.

“The suspect walked over from his house next door, started firing on these two guys as they were loading up firewood,” said Sgt. Boynton.

Police haven’t given a motive.

It’s left the neighborhood shaken up.

“Just a regular neighborhood, nothing exciting ever happens usually,” said Craig Stewart, who heard the shooting.

“This neighborhood is really quite and peaceful about all the time, so you wouldn’t expect anything like that to happen here, but it did,” said Bird.

None of the victims or the suspect suffered life-threatening injuries.

The officer, Shad Grile, wasn’t hurt. He’s been placed on administrative leave, which is department policy.