A man has been banned from hunting for a year after he tried to shoot a squirrel but instead attacked the town hall

A man who tried to shoot a squirrel in his Huron County yard and ended up nearly hitting a man has been banned from hunting for one year and ordered to pay a fine.

The man, from St. Helens, about 30 kilometers north of Goderich, was ordered to pay $3,000 and must undergo remedial training before receiving another hunting license, the province’s Ministry of Natural Resources wrote in a statement.

The incident occurred on June 5 in the Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh community. The bullet hit City Hall, officials said.

“Investigations carried out in conjunction with local police determined that (the man) fired a .22 caliber rifle at a squirrel in his yard, shooting towards the main junction of Belfast Road and the St Helens Line. The bullet missed the city employee several feet before striking the building, officials said.

The man pleaded guilty to reckless hunting. The case was heard in the Ontario Court of Justice in Goderich.