6 days ago
Man charged with firing shotgun rounds into ceiling of North Fayette hotel room
A man was arrested and is facing charges, accused of firing several shotgun rounds into the ceiling of his hotel room in North Fayette Township.
Levi Barela, 39, is facing several counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, assault, and reckless endangerment after police said the shotgun rounds he fired inside the Extended Stay America on Tuesday led to the hotel being condemned.
Police said they were first called to the Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa just before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday for reports of a man with a gun inside the business.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man, later identified as Barela, who was armed with a loaded shotgun. Police said he handed the shotgun over without incident.
Police said Barela admitted to firing five or six shotgun rounds into the ceiling of the room where he was living at the hotel because he believed there were federal agents "attempting to neutralize him."
After firing the shots into the ceiling, Barela then reloaded the shotgun and went to the massage business, to tell his fiancé about what happened, police said.
Police said the shotgun rounds Barela fired into the ceiling pierced the water lines throughout the hotel and resulted in the roof of rooms collapsing due to water damage.
The hotel was condemned by North Fayette Township code enforcement due to the incident.
Police say that Barela was taken to Western Psychiatric Hospital due to his mental status.
