A former Greensburg man will serve at least 20 months in jail for firing a rifle into the homes of two neighbors last year.
Joshua Dowell Miller, 27, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and a misdemeanor reckless endangerment count in connection with the shooting Nov. 7 on Harrison Avenue in Greensburg.
Police said they were alerted to the shots when Miller’s next door neighbor returned home the following day after spending the evening with a girlfriend in Apollo and found two rounds in his kitchen and a third shot in an adjacent bedroom. Rounds were also found in another second floor apartment next door, according to court records.
“There for the grace of God he didn’t kill anyone,” said Assistant District Attorney Mike Pacek.
Police said residents in the area of the shooting were questioned and Miller originally denied firing the shots. Investigators found what appeared to be exit holes on the exterior wall of Miller’s apartment and a subsequent search of his home found a rifle and box of ammunition that matched the rounds fired into the neighboring homes.
In court on Wednesday, Miller, who lived with his fiancee and his two young children at the time of the incident, explained why he fired the shots.
“It was a family issue, just a lot of weight on my shoulder,” Miller said. “I apologize for what happened and thankful no one got hurt. I am not a violent person and I can’t say I’m sorry enough.”
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered to Miller to serve 10 to 23 months in jail and an additional two years on probation. Miller will not receive credit for the 10 months he has spent behind bars since his arrest last year.
As part of the sentence Miller is required to have mental health evaluation while in jail and is prohibited from owning or possessing a gun, the judge said.
