A Schuylkill County man was denied bail Wednesday night and faces charges after police say he fired a shotgun at three people from a garage earlier in the evening, striking all three with pellets following a separate physical altercation in the street.
Zachary Vincent Catizone, 37, of Girardville, was taken into custody without incident after surrendering to police who had surrounded a residence on W. Mahanoy Ave., police in Butler Township say.
Officers say they were called to the intersection of Ogden and Julia streets in Butler Township at 5:10 p.m. for a domestic dispute in progress. Police arrived and met with a man who had a bloody knee wound and swelling on his head. The man told police he was punched twice in the head during an argument over an ongoing issue, causing him to fall and potentially lose consciousness.
The injured man pointed out his attacker – identified as Jacob Taylor – waiting at a nearby corner, police say. The injured man was treated by EMS at the scene and transported to a hospital in Danville.
Police say they then interviewed Taylor, along with a man and a woman who were with him. Taylor allegedly admitted to punching the first man, claiming he had been stalked and harassed. He told police that after the physical fight, a skinny man with shoulder-length brown hair stood inside an open garage at the rear of a nearby property and fired a single shotgun blast at the group.
The blast struck Taylor with multiple pellets in both legs, police say. The second man was struck in the left side of his face, and the woman was hit in the left nostril while sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle. Police say they observed indentations from shotgun pellets on the driver’s side rear door of the vehicle. All three shooting victims were evaluated by a second EMS unit but refused further treatment. Taylor was detained and read his Miranda rights, police say.
While investigating the scene, police say they found and collected a shotgun wad lying in the intersection. Police then spoke with an older resident of the W. Mahanoy Avenue home where the shot originated. The resident initially denied any gunshots were fired, then claimed he had thrown an M80 firework to stop the fight. After police confronted the resident with the recovered shotgun wad, the resident claimed he had fired the shotgun himself.
When police decided to place that resident in custody, he retracted his statement, telling police that his son, Catizone, was actually the shooter and was currently inside the house with the firearm, police say. The resident told police he was initially trying to protect his son.
Police secured a perimeter and Catizone surrendered shortly after. During an interview at the police station, Catizone allegedly admitted to the shooting, police say. Catizone told police he saw two people beating the first man and heard someone scream about a knife, though he noted he did not see a weapon. Catizone stated he retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun from the garage and fired one shot “directly into the ground” before returning the weapon to a closet and retreating into the house, police say.
Police obtained search warrants later that evening to collect a DNA swab and gunshot residue from Catizone, which were administered by state police. A second warrant allowed police to search the garage, where they say they located a Remington Model 870 12-gauge shotgun with a spent shell casing in the chamber.
Catizone was arraigned on three counts of felony aggravated assault, three misdemeanor counts of simple assault, and three misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment. He’s also been charged with a misdemeanor count of firing into an occupied vehicle.
Magisterial Distict Judge Anthony Kilker denied Catizone bail, determining he was a safety risk to the community.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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