A North Carolina man who stopped in Erie during a motorcycle road trip late last week reportedly got angry with his hotel roommate because the roommate wouldn't stay out with him at a local bar, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
Investigators allege the man threatened to kill his roommate and confronted him with a gun when he returned to the hotel. A struggle ensued, and a gun that was reportedly pointed at the victim's chest went off and shot the victim in the hand, according to information in the criminal complaint that state police filed against the accused shooter.
The accused shooter, William B. Huskins, 52, of Raleigh, North Carolina, remained in the Erie County Prison without bond Tuesday following his arraignment Friday afternoon on charges including attempted homicide and felony aggravated assault.
A lawyer for Huskins was not listed on his criminal docket sheet.
State police investigators accuse Huskins of shooting the 44-year-old male victim, of Clayton, North Carolina, inside a room at the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham at 8061 Peach St., south of the Interstate 90 interchange, on Friday at about 3:40 a.m. State police reported after the shooting that the suspect and the victim were traveling on a motorcycle road trip when the confrontation occurred.
According to information in the criminal complaint filed against Huskins, investigators said they learned that Huskins reportedly became irritated with the victim because the victim refused to stay out with him at a bar. Huskins reportedly continued drinking with another friend, and after returning to the hotel, Huskins reportedly related that he was going to kill his roommate, troopers wrote in the affidavit of probable cause filed with the complaint.
The victim reportedly received a text message and a phone call telling him to be careful when Huskins returned because of the statements, investigators wrote in the affidavit.
The victim told state police he heard Huskins quietly enter the hotel room and come into his bedroom, and he saw that Huskins had a gun pointed at the victim's chest. A struggle ensued, and the victim reportedly had Huskins pinned on the ground and had his hand on the gun when it fired, striking the victim in the left hand, according to information in the affidavit. The fight reportedly continued and the victim was hit in the face, troopers wrote.
The victim was able to get possession of the gun and left the hotel room, and Huskins fled in an unknown direction, according to the affidavit. Police eventually apprehended Huskins and the victim was taken to UPMC Hamot for treatment.
Huskins is tentatively scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on July 23.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn
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