A Longmont business owner fired a handgun at the ground Thursday evening after homeless people would not leave the person’s property, police say.

About 6:50 p.m. Thursday, Longmont officers received a report of a physical disturbance in the 800 block of 23rd Avenue, Sgt. Jason Malterud said.

An initial report came in as shots fired, but nobody saw a gun. After investigating, police determined homeless people were squatting on the property, and the owner confronted them and told them to leave. When the owner returned and the homeless people were still on scene, a verbal confrontation ensued, Malterud said.

The homeless people then picked up sticks and wood and came after the owner.

“What we found later was the (property) owner had a .22-caliber handgun, and had shot one round into the ground,” Malterud said.

The only injury sustained was a small cut to one of the homeless people from a piece of debris after the bullet entered the ground, he said.

“And when I say a small cut, I mean a very small, like, barely could tell it was a cut,” he added.

No one was arrested and charges have not been filed following the altercation, Malterud said, adding both parties were potentially at fault. Officers removed the homeless people from the property.