MOUNT JOY, PA – The late-night shouting match began inside a Mount Joy bar but turned dangerous when a man allegedly pulled out a loaded gun in the parking lot.
Just before midnight on July 18, police say 22-year-old Matthew Sterl Achenbach argued with another man inside the bar before the confrontation moved outside. According to the victim, Achenbach pulled a handgun from his waistband, loaded a round into the chamber, aimed it directly at him, and threatened to kill him.
Officers arrived to find Achenbach still holding the loaded firearm. Investigators say he does not have a license to carry and initially refused to answer questions before voluntarily admitting to pointing the weapon.
Achenbach, of the first block of West Main Street, faces charges including aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, simple assault, possession of a weapon, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, harassment, and disorderly conduct.
He waived his preliminary hearing before Judge Michael Hess on Tuesday, sending the case to Lancaster County Court. Achenbach remains in Lancaster County Prison on $100,000 bail. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Gilbert is prosecuting the case, which was filed by Mount Joy Borough Police Officer Nathan Reed.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Key Points
- Matthew Sterl Achenbach accused of pointing a loaded gun at a man after a bar argument in Mount Joy
- Waived preliminary hearing, sending the case to Lancaster County Court
- Held in county prison on $100,000 bail without a license to carry firearm
