Man charged in Texas after firing shots on school roof

[August 24, 2015]  (Reuters) - Authorities filed charges on Sunday against a man who allegedly fired shots on the roof of an elementary school in Richmond, Texas, police said. No injuries were reported.

The suspect, Christian Pieper, 20, of Richmond, was arrested after police responded to calls at about 8 a.m. that shots were heard coming from the roof of the Velasquez Elementary School, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. Richmond is on the outskirts of Houston to the southwest.

A second man, who was playing bagpipes on the ground at the school, was taken into custody but released because he had no connection to the shooting, authorities said.

Charges against Pieper include possession of a stolen firearm and trespassing, said a spokesman for the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.

One .40-caliber handgun and four or five shell casings were recovered from the school, with some damage to school property, authorities said. The first day of school is Monday.

Pieper was apparently shooting randomly and not at people, authorities said at a news conference.

Pieper is believed to have acted alone and there is no reason to believe the school will be at risk on Monday, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls told the news conference.

(This version corrects name to Pieper from Peiper)

(Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Sandra Maler)

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