McCandless man charged with firing shots into neighbor's house

A McCandless man is charged with shooting at least 10 rounds of bullets into a neighbor’s home Wednesday afternoon.

McCandless police responded to the 8000 block of Ringeisen Road at about 3:30 p.m. for reports of shots heard and a woman reported a neighbor was firing bullets into her house.

Police subsequently charged that neighbor — Sean Yakelis, 41 — with 10 counts each of discharging a firearm into an occupied building and recklessly endangering another person.

Investigators identified at least 10 bullet holes consistent with rifle rounds in the home of the woman, who told first responders she wasn’t injured, police said in a criminal complaint.

She told investigators she heard a gunshot while upstairs in her home and then spotted damage to items inside the house, including a door window.

Bullet holes also were found in the exterior of Yakelis’ home, where police discovered multiple firearms and a spent rifle casing, according to the police complaint.

Yakelis ultimately surrendered without further incident to the North Hills Special Response Team, which was called to assist. Ringeisen Road was closed to traffic for safety reasons during the police response.

Controlled substances also were seen in Yakelis’ home, police said. A hazardous materials response team took part in a search of the house because of the apparent presence of a chemical, TribLive news partner WTAE reported.

It wasn’t clear what may have prompted the shooting. Police said Yakelis refused to talk about it after being taken into custody.

Yakelis was arraigned early Thursday before District Judge Thomas S. Brletic who denied bail. Yakalis was placed in the Allegheny County Jail pending a July 3 preliminary hearing.