Bret Michaels Dodges Bullet

Poison frontman escapes serious injury after shot fired at bus; vows to continue tour

By Charlie Amter Nov 23, 2005 12:45 AMTags

Somebody's gunning for Bret Michaels.

The Poison frontman literally dodged a bullet, or at least a pellet, escaping injury after someone fired a single shot into his tour bus Monday night.

The "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" singer was inside his luxury coach when the incident took place outside the Rumble Seat Bar and Grille in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he was due to perform.

In a statement, Michaels' manager says the rocker was not hit by the projectile, but he "was struck in the face by flying broken glass."

The release goes on to say that "this was not a random drive-by shooting due to the shots being fired directly into the living quarters at the rear of the bus." It also claims that "throughout his career, Michaels has been the target of numerous death threats investigated by the FBI."

Michaels himself says in the statement that he will soldier on.

"I want to thank all of my fans in the Chicopee area for staying out last night, and I will be back."

But local authorities are downplaying the seriousness of the incident. "It appears to be a simple case of vandalism," says Sergeant Christopher Lareau of the Chicopee Police Department.

Speaking by phone Tuesday, Lareau confirmed that the left rear window of the bus had been shot out, but that he believed the weapon involved was a "pellet gun." He added that there were currently no suspects.

In his statement, Michaels asks that any tips be sent to his Website, bretmichaels.com, or the police.

"Hopefully, with the help of many people, we will catch the person who did this and they will be brought to justice," the rocker says.

The tour bus tagging caps a rough year for members of one of the biggest hair metal bands of the late 1980s. Last month, a Los Angeles judge sentenced Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille to 80 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to driving under the influence and causing injury.

As for Michaels, he is due in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for a show Tuesday followed by a Thursday concert in Cincinnati.