Several guns recovered from a Fort Pierce backyard on New Year's Eve

FORT PIERCE — Two airsoft handguns, two airsoft shotguns and three airsoft pistols were recovered in a home’s backyard after an officer heard several shots on New Year’s Eve, according to a police report released Monday.

An officer driving west on Avenue E about 10:26 p.m. on New Year’s Eve reported hearing eight to 10 shots “directly northwest” of him.

The officer turned onto North 19th Street, where he saw a man leaning against a car in a driveway in the 600 block of North 19th Street. The officer saw no one else in the area.

Asked who was shooting, the man looked toward the backyard and said, “I just want to say that I don’t live here.”

In the backyard, police found two loaded 9 mm handguns, two shotguns, at least one of which was loaded, three airsoft pistols and several cartridge casings.

The home’s 47-year-old resident said several men dressed in black came into the backyard and started shooting.

The owner of the home said she didn’t know who owned the vehicle in her driveway. Police found a box of 9 mm ammunition in the back seat. A police spokeswoman said the man leaning up against the vehicle is a suspect.