Key Takeaways
- Hunter Cornell, 22, of Berlin, is accused of entering a residence on Causeway Drive in Stonycreek Township without permission Wednesday night.
- The victim armed himself with a handgun, but Cornell and the victim struggled over it and Cornell gained control.
- The handgun fired during the struggle, and whether the victim suffered a gunshot wound was still being determined as of Thursday.
- Cornell then removed the magazine, set the gun aside, and punched the victim in the face and side, police say.
- Cornell was arrested hours later and is jailed at Somerset County Jail on burglary, criminal trespass, and aggravated assault charges with bail set at $5,000.
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STONYCREEK TOWNSHIP, PA — A Somerset County man armed himself with a handgun after another man came into his home without permission Wednesday night. Police say he ended up fighting that man for control of the gun, and lost.
The details below come from a criminal affidavit and Pennsylvania State Police, as reported by WJAC. Statements from Somerset County District Attorney Tom Leiden were reported by The Tribune-Democrat.
Investigators say 22-year-old Hunter Cornell of Berlin is accused of assaulting and wounding the man at a residence on the 1600 block of Causeway Drive, near Friedens. According to the affidavit, the victim and a female witness allege that Cornell entered the home without permission. That prompted the victim to arm himself with a handgun.
Then the two men started struggling over the gun. Investigators say the weapon was allegedly fired accidentally during the struggle, injuring the victim. Cornell reportedly gained control of the handgun. He removed the magazine. He tossed it aside. Then, police say, he began punching the victim in the face and side.
The fight over the gun is the part of this story every armed citizen should study. The moment an attacker gets his hands on your handgun, you are no longer in a shooting. You are in a wrestling match, and your gun is what he is fighting for. Weapon retention is a trained skill, and so is keeping your hands and body working while someone tries to strip the gun away. Inside your own house, with someone already there, you may not have the distance you would want. That is why my mindset is that range time alone is not enough. Hands-on training is what prepares you for an attacker who closes the gap and goes for the gun. None of that is a knock on a man who reached for a firearm in his own home with seconds to react.
Whether the victim was actually shot is still unclear.
- The affidavit, as WJAC describes it, says the gun went off and injured him.
- Leiden told the Tribune-Democrat that at least one gunshot was fired during the assault. He added that as of Thursday morning, investigators did not believe it caused any of the injuries.
- Leiden has also said it is still being determined whether the victim suffered a gunshot wound.
The call first went to Somerset County 911 as an apparent shooting, according to Leiden. A WJAC crew at the scene saw state police, fire crews, EMS personnel and a medical helicopter. The victim was treated at Conemaugh Hospital. Leiden said he is expected to recover from injuries that have not been publicly detailed.
Leiden said a suspect was apprehended a few hours later. According to online court records cited by WJAC, Cornell is jailed on several felonies, including:
- burglary
- criminal trespass
- aggravated assault
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He is being held at the Somerset County Jail with bail set at $5,000. State police are handling the investigation with help from their Greensburg-based forensic services unit, Leiden said.
Leiden said the circumstances that led to the alleged assault are still being investigated. The charges against Cornell are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted.
