Grandmother claims celebratory bullet hit their van with grandchildren inside on 4th of July

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Al. (WBRC) - A Clay grandmother got the scare of her life Sunday night when she said a stray bullet hit her van as her family headed home from celebrating the holiday.

Elaine Meachum was still shaken up the next day when she showed WBRC the indention in the roof of her van that was about the size of a fingertip.

“It hit right above my two-year-old granddaughter’s car seat that she was in,” Meachum explained.

The van was packed with her grandchildren, son, and husband, Meachum said it happened as they drove on I-65.

“We had no idea where it came from, who was shooting,” she added.

Unfortunately for Meachum, it’s like Deja Vu.

“This happened to me once before in 2006. I carry the bullet,” Meachum said.

Holding the bullet she said struck her car in 2006 while she worked in the community as a psychiatric social worker, Meachum explained that the bullet almost went through the roof, and could’ve struck her in the head.

Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt in that incident.

Meachum hoped telling her story would make others think twice.

“I hope that people will not shoot guns anymore into the air on the 4th of July. Buy some fireworks. Watch Thunder on the Mountain. There’s no reason to shoot guns into the air.”

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

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