On May 2nd, 2020, at 1050 a.m., Shascom received a call from neighbors of a male subject in his yard discharging a handgun in the 2300 block of Vandiver Lane, Redding. Multiple Redding Police officers immediately responded and located the subject, identified as Robert Wilson Hardberger (55 years of age), in his yard unarmed. He was detained without incident and an investigation was initiated.
Officers discovered Hardberger began his morning at 7 a.m. walking in his yard with a pistol in his hand. At that time he discharged two rounds from the pistol and went inside his house. No calls to 911 were made. Then, around 1050 a.m., Hardberger again emerged from his house with a pistol in his hand and discharged three more rounds, two of which were fired into the ground and the third was fired in an unknown direction. This time 911 was called during which time Hardberger returned to his house where he secured the pistol in a safe prior to officers arriving on scene.
Based on the circumstances, the location was secured and a search warrant was authored to collect evidence related to the investigation. At 3 p.m., officers served the search warrant where they located and collected multiple items of evidence including the pistol.
Hardberger was placed under arrest for 246.3(a) PC, negligent discharge of a firearm, and booked into the Shasta County Jail without incident. Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the Redding Police Department at 530.225.4200.