MOOSIC - Adam Wickizer told state police he only meant to scare Christopher Hughes.
But Mr. Hughes would never leave alive the Springbrook Avenue trailer in Moosic at which Mr. Wickizer was staying.
Mr. Wickizer, 29, is charged with one count of criminal homicide after firing a rifle at Mr. Hughes, 23, of Pittston, while Mr. Hughes and his girlfriend, Dana Anderson, tried to pick up Ms. Anderson's son Sunday night.
Mr. Wickizer, who is the father of the child, told Troopers Mark Murray and Patrick McGurrin during an interview that he had been angling to increase his visitation with his son but Ms. Anderson wasn't budging.
Anticipating a problem when the two came to pick the child up after Mr. Wickizer had taken his son to a soapbox derby, he began to load his .50 caliber rifle.
When Mr. Hughes and Ms. Anderson reached the trailer at lot 34, Mr. Wickizer answered the door armed.
Mr. Hughes called 911 at 8:39 p.m. The conversation lasted for 4½ minutes. That's when the shot was heard and the screaming started, the affidavit states.
Moosic police officers Jason Jarecki and Jason O'Hora arrived soon after to find Mr. Hughes on the ground in a pool of blood. Police apprehended Mr. Wickizer and took him into custody.
"He was cooperative with both the Moosic police and the state police," Deputy District Attorney Jennifer McCambridge said.
Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said Monday Mr. Hughes had died of a gunshot wound to the neck.
Moosic Mayor James Segilia said that incidents with guns don't happen often in Moosic. The last time police investigated an armed man involved a four-hour stand-off in February with the Scranton Police Department Special Operations Group a county SWAT team at a Birney Avenue motel.
Mr. Wickizer was arraigned before Magistrate District Judge Joanne Corbett before being sent to Lackawanna County Prison where he is held without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 25.
The incident is currently under investigation by the state police, Moosic police and the Lackawanna County district attorney's office.
Staff writer Rebekah Brown, staff writer, contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com