I normally do not voice my opinion in print but felt I needed to say something this time.



UPDATE: Police catch armed man after assault, shot fired


By Matt Snyder
Herald Staff Writer

PINE TOWNSHIP —
A Pine Township man beat up a woman, shot at her with a semi-automatic rifle and attacked a man who came to her aid before he was arrested Wednesday, police said.


Gary Dean Koebler, 56, of 992 Stevenson Road, faces charges of aggravated and simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment.

Koebler got into a heated argument with a woman whom he punched in the face and head repeatedly at about 10 p.m. in his home, police said.

Koebler broke the home phone into pieces and the woman fled to a garage near the house, police said. While she ran, Koebler got his SKS rifle — a Soviet-made rifle that fires the same ammunition as an AK-47 — and fired it.

Koebler admitted to police he fired a round, and police found a divot in the yard, they said. Koebler maintained he was not trying to hit her with the bullet.

A 26-year-old man arrived at the home and saw the woman crying on the phone, police said. He told police he asked Koebler if he’d hit the woman and Koebler punched him and put him in a headlock.

The young man fought back, broke free, and hit Koebler several times, he said. Koebler then knocked things around in the garage and left, the younger man told police.

Koebler was armed with a rifle as he drove away in the woman’s car, police said.

Police said Koebler was arrested at about 11 p.m. a few miles away at 914 Eastover Road, Pine Township. Besides firing the shot, Koebler admitted to shoving the woman and hitting the young man, police said.

Koebler remains in Mercer County Jail on $35,000 bond, said a county jail spokesman.

http://www.sharon-herald.com/local/l...092220744.html


My response,

Gun’s description often mishandled in news stories






Greenville, Pa


Again I read about a misguided individual using a firearm in connection with violence. I am referring to The Herald’s article in Friday’s paper “Police catch armed man after assault, shots fired.”

As I read the article my mind raced ahead and was waiting for the inevitable, assault rifle. But what I saw stunned me. The SKS described is in fact a semi-auto rifle, as stated.

In almost every article or TV story concerning gun violence, the weapons are mistakenly referred to as assault rifles mostly for political purposes. The SKS or AK-47 clones are not capable of select fire, meaning fully automatic.

Being a licensed firearm collector and enthusiast, I commend Matt Snyder and The Herald for their accuracy in stating the facts. I sternly believe any individuals or group using firearms for crimes should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.


http://www.sharon-herald.com/letters...099162834.html