Fayette man charged in Fairchance drive-by shooting
Two wounded in Fairchance drive-by shooting
A Fairchance man is in custody after he was accused of wounding two people in a drive-by shooting stemming from a dispute with one of the victims.
Nykolas House, 20, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a prohibited firearm, receiving stolen property and several misdemeanors.
House is accused of intentionally shooting at Joseph Miller, 20, who told state police in Uniontown the two had been fighting since the previous day after House spotted a photo of his girlfriend on Miller’s phone.
Shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, the complaint said, House fired several shots into a residence at 129 N. Main St. in Fairchance, where Miller and four other people were inside.
House told police he had fired the shots to scare Miller, who had been staying at House’s residence.
When House turned the car around to drive back, Miller told police, he began running down the street, where he was hit in the leg by a bullet.
Miller was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., for advanced medical treatment, according to court paperwork.
A neighbor, Dennis Carr, 60, was also struck by shrapnel from the gunfire, the complaint said. He was one of several people who had gathered outside after hearing the first shots, court documents state.
Police tracked the tan Chevrolet Malibu described by witnesses to House’s residence on Elm Street, where he came out willingly with his hands up, the complaint said.
House told police he had taken the gun used in the shooting from Miller the day before the shooting after their altercation. Police recovered the gun from under House’s dresser, the complaint said. Police said the gun had been reported stolen in Morgantown, W.Va.
House is not old enough for a license to carry a firearm in Pennsylvania, and is barred from possessing a firearm because of a previous conviction, the complaint said.
Judge Nathan Henning denied House bail on the grounds of posing a threat to himself and others.
House’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2.