A Bellefonte-area man is facing felony charges including attempted homicide after he allegedly shot another man on Wednesday afternoon outside of a Worth Township home, according to state police at Rockview and the Centre County District Attorney’s Office.
Kyle J. Hockenberry, 28, is accused of first attempting to shoot the alleged victim in the stomach then shooting him in the thigh. The man was taken to UPMC Altoona for treatment and is expected to recover.
According to a criminal complaint, Hockenberry and the other man stopped for drinks after work and got into an argument. When they returned to the Capstone Lane home, Hockenberry loaded items into his truck and drove it to the end of the driveway, where it became disabled and the engine caught fire.
The man told investigators he used a rock to smash the window and get Hockenberry out of the truck. Hockenberry said the man began punching him after breaking the window.
Hockenberry returned to the house, retrieved a shotgun and walked back down the driveway where he pointed it at the man’s stomach and pulled the trigger, police wrote. When the gun failed to discharge, he allegedly cycled the action and pulled the trigger again, this time shooting the man in the front of the left thigh.
The alleged victim then got in his truck and drove up the driveway to the house. Hockenberry fired at the truck with the shotgun, striking the rear quarter panel and sideview mirror, before fleeing on an ATV, police wrote.
Hockenberry returned to the scene voluntarily and was taken into custody without incident, according to the complaint.
In addition to attempted criminal homicide, He is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats and criminal mischief.
Hockenberry was arraigned on Thursday morning before District Judge Allen Sinclair and was unable to post $250,000 straight bail. He is detained at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 8.
