Nov 1, 2017 2 min read

A Wayne Township man who shot at his neighbors’ home while riding a lawn tractor earlier this year pleaded guilty Tuesday in Greene County Court.

Jerry Edward Wood, 43, of 1564 Oak Forest Road, was accused in July of firing his pistol multiple times at his neighbor’s Oak Forest Road home with two adults and two young children, ages 10 and 7, inside.

State police originally charged Wood with four counts each of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, along with one count each of discharging a firearm at an occupied structure and criminal mischief.

As part of the plea agreement, the attempted homicide charges were withdrawn and the aggravated assault counts were reduced to simple assault charges, public defender Harry Cancelmi said. He was sentenced to a year in prison, nine months of house arrest and five years of county intermediate punishment as part of the plea agreement.

District Attorney Marjorie Fox declined to comment.

The family was preparing to see fireworks July 4 when Wood came riding over on a lawn tractor firing shots that hit their home and truck.

State police said Wood was intoxicated when he began arguing with his neighbor, Joseph Darr, and the shouting escalated into a fight. Wood went back to his home to retrieve a handgun while Darr told his wife and two children to go into the house as Wood returned from his home about 300 yards away riding a lawn tractor, police said.

Wood then shot the gun and struck a truck twice and the home at least four times. Two bullets traveled through windows and into the house as the family ran inside for cover. A fifth bullet was recovered the next day lodged in the home.

State police troopers found Wood holding a 9mm handgun when they arrived, which he was ordered to drop.