Correction appended:

During an alcohol-fueled argument over gun control, an Aloha woman fired a shotgun inside her own home, shooting out a softball-sized hole from the wall.

No one was hurt but a neighbor’s house sustained thousands of dollars in damage.

“Alcohol and firearms never mix. The two should never be used together. We’re very fortunate that no one was injured,” said Sgt. Bob Ray, a spokesman for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Susan Fleming, 51, is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, recklessly endangering another person and second-degree criminal mischief.

The shooting happened sometime Friday evening in the 4300 block of Southwest 183rd Terrace.

The neighbor who found damage to his house called police Saturday. A softball-size hole coming from an upstairs room then lead police to Fleming.

Police said Fleming was in a dispute with her 55-year-old boyfriend after discovering that he had brought his loaded 12 gauge shotgun into their shared home. They were discussing gun safety, including the proper handling of a loaded firearm.

It’s unclear the other details of the argument, but police said Fleming at one point intentionally opened fire from a close range from an upstairs room and blew out a hole about the size of a softball. The wall is comprised of sheetrock on the inside and a fiberboard exterior, according to a sheriff’s office release.

Police said alcohol was a factor in the shooting but that Fleming was not trying to shoot her boyfriend, who was in the room.

A shotgun releases dozens of pellets at the same time, Ray said, so pellets were found inside the room, stuck into the wall and scattered across the neighbor’s siding in a 6-foot by 6 -foot area. It’s estimated to be thousands of dollars in damage for the neighbor.

Fleming is being held at the Washington County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.

This article reflects the following correction, published Aug. 28:

Bob Ray is a sergeant with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. A previous version of the story said he is a lieutenant.

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