Oregon ‘nice guy’ opens fire on pranksters who threw eggs at his house

An Oregon man called police on himself after firing gunshots at vandals who tossed eggs at his home.

William Dean Thomas called police late Wednesday to report that his house had been egged, and he told investigators he was outside cleaning up the mess about 1:30 a.m. Thursday when a group riding in a Ford Taurus drove by and threw more eggs, reported KATU-TV.

The 68-year-old Thomas, of Southeast Portland, fired several gunshots at the vandals -- who laughed as they drove away, according to witnesses.

One of the bullets struck a neighbor's home, near a child's bedroom, but no injuries were reported.

Neighbors said they liked Thomas, but they said his actions were inexcusable.

"He's a nice guy, though I can't really say it's justifiable," said neighbor Ryan Heise. "Eggs versus guns -- totally different ball game. Maybe he needs to buy a slingshot."

Thomas was arrested without incident and booked into jail on charges of reckless endangerment and unlawful use of a weapon.

The vandals have not been identified, and police said they could be charged with third-degree criminal mischief.