Police: Selinsgrove man, 61, shot at mom

By Rob Scott
The Daily Item

August 18, 2008 01:32 am

— SELINSGROVE -- An 81-year-old woman talked her son into surrendering to police Sunday after he shot at her with a .357-magnum handgun.
Police from Selinsgrove and Sunbury and state police responded to 204 S. Front St. on the Isle of Que for a report of shots fired inside the home at 5:22 p.m.
After interviewing witnesses who had escaped the home, police learned William Allen Ludwig, 61, had fired the gun at his mother, Mary, while she was sitting in a chair in the living room. Anthony Bender, whose age was not provided, and his infant son, Michael, were also in the living room.
Ms. Ludwig reached for the phone when she saw the gun in her son's hand, police said. Mr. Ludwig fired and the round grazed her forearm, causing a minor wound, struck an oak cabinet and fragmented. Pieces of the bullet grazed Mrs. Ludwig's forehead and the round ricocheted, striking the chair she was sitting in.
Alison Drumheler, Anthony Bender's girlfriend and Michael's mother, was outside the home and ran inside when she heard the shot. She fled the home, along with Anthony and Michael, while Mrs. Ludwig remained inside.
When police arrived, Mr. Ludwig, described by police as "highly intoxicated," grabbed several other guns and ammunition inside the home and placed three rifles at the front door and another at the rear door. Police said he told his mother he would use the weapons against police and said he would shoot himself.
Ms. Ludwig convinced her son to surrender after several minutes of negotiations between him and police. Mr. Ludwig left the home and was taken into custody by police.
Neighbors crowded the street during the brief standoff. None would comment. A group of women who spoke briefly with Mrs. Ludwig on their front porch following the incident said she was shaken, but refused to comment further.
Police taped off Mr. Ludwig's front yard and spoke with witnesses inside the home, leaving the suspect handcuffed in the back of a Selinsgrove police car while he was watched by two officers.
At one point, officers helped him out of the cruiser and switched his handcuffs to plastic restraints after he began to complain of pain.
"I can't run," he told one of the officers after he was warned not to try to escape.
Mr. Ludwig was arraigned by District Judge Jeffrey Mensch in Mifflinburg and charged with attempted criminal homicide, simple assault with a firearm, two counts of aggravated felony assault, four counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of terroristic threats.
No further information was available as of press time.
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