Posting on Reddit, the user said they were woken by a loud bang and shattered glass. Their neighbour later arrived distressed and apologetic after discovering the gun had gone off.

Police investigating the incident reportedly told the PC owner that the bullet would likely have struck them in bed had it not changed course after hitting the computer. The projectile was later found – under the person’s pillow.

Photographs showed the bullet passing through the PC’s motherboard before deflecting off a memory module. The neighbour was charged with criminal negligence and had the firearm confiscated. According to the Reddit post, her insurer is expected to cover the damage.

The computer was destroyed, but the owner escaped injury and is now planning a replacement system with a budget of $3,500.

The incident is unusual but not unprecedented. Last month, a dog in Nebraska reportedly discharged a shotgun inside a vehicle, injuring a woman with a pellet.