Man arrested after shooting shotgun at hot air balloon

A man in his sixties was arrested after firing a shotgun at a hot air balloon that was flying over his home on Sunday, September 1.

A resident in his sixties from the commune of Puimoisson (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) was arrested on Sunday, September 1, for having fired a shotgun at a hot air balloon that had passed over his home.

“We are in shock. There was a pilot and six passengers. The pilot was hit by a bullet and three passengers too. Fortunately, the force was reduced by a hedge,” insists Christophe Lacour, director of the company Aéronefs & Aérostats, to BFM DICI.

Although he was hit by the shot, the pilot managed to land the craft further away without any problems.

“You have to know that we are transporting 200 kilos of gas. It could have turned into a tragedy, really,” he adds.

Several weapons found at the shooter’s home

Shortly after the incident, the police were notified and arrested the suspect, who was known in the village for his solitary lifestyle.

The man allegedly shot at the hot air balloon because he could not bear to see it fly over his home. Once apprehended, he was taken into custody. Several weapons were found at his home.

“I am going through the flights over the last few months and it is a gentleman that we had to ‘disturb’ a maximum of five times. We were at a height of about 10 metres and 150 metres from his home,” Christophe Lacour told BFM DICI.

The balloon is grounded for technical checks and will not be able to fly before Friday.