Police charge Delmont man, 79, with firing homemade rifle at neighbor

A 79-year-old Delmont man who had a longstanding grudge against his neighbor shot at him Tuesday with a homemade rifle, borough police said.

Terrence Kurhansky was charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and illegal possession of a firearm. He was arraigned before night court Judge Tony Bompiani and held in the county jail on $200,000 bail.

Officer Joe Calabrace reported in court documents that several residents reported hearing a gunshot come from the direction of Kurhansky’s home along Circle Drive about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. When police initially questioned Kurhansky, he claimed he did not hear a gunshot.

A 56-year-old man called police after he drove to a nearby Dollar General and noticed a bullet hole in his driver’s side door frame. He told Delmont police and county detectives he was standing next to his car when he heard a gunshot but did not immediately notice the damage.

The man told investigators that he believed the shot came from Kurhansky’s house and said “the shot was so loud he could not hear out of his left ear,” Calabrace reported.

Police Chief T.J. Klobucar returned to Kurhansky’s house and found him sitting on his front porch. He said the elderly man agreed to go to the police station for questioning.

There, Kurhansky admitted having a homemade 7mm rifle and firing one round at the man, Calabrace said.

“Terrance stated that he wanted to hurt (the neighbor) … to really put him in pain,” Calabrace wrote in court documents.

Police said Kurhansky is barred from owning firearms due to a recent court-ordered mental health commitment. In addition to the homemade rifle, police seized 7mm shell casings from a case hidden beneath Kurhansky’s bed and a .22-caliber rifle hidden in his basement.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Sept. 24 before Export District Judge Charles Conway.