SANDY LAKE, Pa. (EYT) — A Kennerdell man is awaiting a preliminary hearing following a gun-related incident on January 13 in Sandy Lake Borough, Mercer County.

According to court documents, Mercer-based State Police filed criminal charges against 42-year-old Michael Owens, of Kennerdell.

According to a criminal complaint, around 8:13 p.m. on Saturday, January 13, Mercer-based State Police received multiple phone calls from residents in the area of East Lacock Street in the borough of Sandy Lake reporting an altercation and multiple gunshots at an East Lacock Street residence. One call received at the Mercer 911 Center was from a juvenile female who reported an altercation between two males and that shots were fired.

When troopers arrived on the scene, they made contact with Michael Owens, and recovered a 9mm High Point semi-automatic pistol from inside the residence. The magazine contained five live 9mm rounds, a spent shell casing was recovered from the driveway area in front of the residence, and a bullet hole was observed in a realty sign across the street.

Owens was taken into custody and transported to the PSP-Mercer barracks.

A known man then contacted the state police and reported that he had been shot at by Owens during an altercation at the East Lacock Street residence. The victim met with police at a nearby service station and was transported to PSP Mercer for questioning.

In an interview conducted by the state police, the victim stated that he had been taking one of his children back to his mother’s East Lacock Street residence when the altercation occurred. He was speaking to the child’s mother outside her residence when Owens exited the residence shouting and holding a handgun.

A physical altercation occurred, and shots were fired. The victim stated that Owens shot at him, and also hit him on the back of the head, repeatedly, with the gun. He said one of the rounds fired struck his clothing near his left shoulder. Police observed his outer jacket was torn, and there were gunpowder burns on his shirt in the indicated area.

The victim stated that Owens finally either dropped or threw the gun as the two struggled, at which point the victim broke away and fled the scene.

When Owens was interviewed, he stated that he thought he heard an argument between the known woman and the known man. He stated that he retrieved the known woman’s gun from her purse, stuck it in his back pocket, and exited the residence. He said he told the known man that he needed to leave. The two engaged in an altercation, and Owens admitted to hitting the man in the back of his head with the handgun “which may have caused it go off.” He indicated that he eventually tossed the gun as the two of them struggled on the ground, “asking the known woman to help him and get the gun away.” Also, he stated that the known woman was trying to get between the men to stop the altercation, and eventually, the known man fled, according to the complaint.

Owens also stated that “he knows that he isn’t allowed to have a gun due to a prior felony conviction,” the complaint indicates.

Owens was arraigned at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday, January 14, on the following charges:

– Aggravated Assault, Felony 1
– Aggravated Assault, Felony 2
– Possession Of Firearm Prohibited, Felony 2
– Firearms Not To Be Carried without License, Felony 3
– Terroristic Threats with Intent To Terrorize Another, Misdemeanor 1
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2 (four counts)

Unable to post $100,000.00 cash bail, he was lodged at the Mercer County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on January 24, in front of Magisterial District Judge D. Neil McEwen.