Venango County Man Accused of Threatening to ‘Shoot Up’ Local Business

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published July 6, 2021 4:23 am
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FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Criminal charges have been filed against a Franklin man who is accused of threatening to “shoot up” a local business.

Court documents indicate the Franklin Police Department filed criminal charges against 26-year-old Gauge Allister-Cade Keller.

According to a criminal complaint, around 1:39 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, Franklin Police received a report from the management of an area business that a former employee, Gauge Keller, had made threats regarding “shooting the place (the business) up.”

The manager reported he had received a message from an employee saying that Keller had brought his gun to work and was going to start shooting people. Keller was reportedly in a locker room area and had “talked himself out of it.”

The manager noted that the employees were concerned for their safety.

Police then spoke to the employee who had been at the business at the time the threat was allegedly made.

According to the complaint, the witness reported Keller had confided that he had brought his gun to work Friday afternoon and was in the locker room, and said he was “trying to talk himself out of killing everyone at work, then killing himself” and because “he wasn’t going to go to prison” he chose to walk away and quit. The witness told police Keller had talked about killing himself in the past and told them the “last time something like this happened,” he had been arrested for terroristic threats and “not given the help he needed.”

Around 10:47 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30, Franklin Police were called to the same business in reference to Keller being seen in the parking lot behind the business, causing alarm for the employees who were aware of the previous incident. Employees then locked the door of the business and called police, who remained at the scene and escorted the employees out due to safety concerns.

Keller then made contact with the Franklin Police Department by phone.

According to the complaint, Keller was aware of the reported incident and told police it “had all been blown out of proportion.” He reportedly said his statement “had been taken out of context” and told police that what he actually said was he was “going to bring a lot of heat to people there that didn’t deserve it.” Keller said he had meant “yelling or throwing things,” not shooting anyone, and told police the person he had been speaking to assumed that “heat” was referring to a gun.

The complaint notes Keller told police he does have a gun and a permit to carry but had no intention of harming anyone and no ill will toward anyone at the business.

Police then spoke to an additional witness that had allegedly also heard Keller make a threat about shooting up the business, as well.

According to the complaint, the second witness told police that after Keller quit his job he kept saying he “wanted to do something bad to people who didn’t deserve it,” and when asked what he meant by that, he reportedly said he was holding his gun in his hand in the mop room of the business, but had “talked himself out of it.” The witness told police Keller said he then went home and “put his gun in his mouth,” but did not pull the trigger because he began to think he’d “just had a bad day and there was more out there for him.”

Police then consulted with District Attorney Shawn White and the decision was made to file charges based on the witness statements regarding the incident.

The complaint notes that a 9mm handgun was recovered from Keller’s possession at the time of his arrest.

Keller was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland at 1:54 p.m. on July 1, on the following charges:

– Terroristic Threats With Intent To Terrorize Another, Misdemeanor 1
– Harassment — Communicate Lewd, Threatening, Etc. Language, Misdemeanor 3

Unable to post $15,000.00 monetary bail, he was lodged in the Venango County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on July 7, with Judge Kirtland presiding.

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