CLEARFIELD – A Philipsburg man accused of attempted murder will remain in jail in lieu of $100,000 bail after a ruling by Clearfield County President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman Tuesday.
Shawn R. Gillen, 22, was before the judge to ask that his bail be lowered so that he might be able to get out of jail to assist his fiancee and two young children. The judge denied the motion to reduce bail, noting the seriousness of the charges and that Gillen used a gun against the Morrisdale man with whose attempted murder he is charged.
According to court documents, Gillen stole a revolver from his mother’s home and then went to the home of his mother’s former boyfriend on Nov. 26. Gillen spoke with the man for several minutes, according to the alleged victim’s testimony at a preliminary hearing, the two spoke for about five minutes, then Gillen pulled out the gun and began to fire. The other man could not remember if he ran first or if Gillen began to shoot first.
Troopers arrived on the scene and found two bullets lodged in the doorway. A call then came in for a man with a gun on Philipsburg’s Second Street. Officers responded and took Gillen into custody.
Three more bullets were later found in the home’s porch.
A previous GantDaily article stated that Gillen wrote a statement for police including “I will kill him.” Gillen then scratched out the words, but the trooper interviewing him asked him to initial to verify that the marks were his.
Gillen’s fiancee made a plea to the judge to ask that Gillen might receive a lower bail amount so that he might help with the children. Gillen’s mother also spoke to the judge, saying, “The mental abuse that he suffered for seven years … you have to live in a situation like that.”
Both women wept as they spoke, and Gillen’s mother held her face in her hands as the details of Nov. 26 were read for the court record.
No trial date has been set in the matter.
Gillen faces multiple charges including criminal attempt to commit homicide, aggravated assault and a charge for carrying a handgun without a license, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.