Brooksville man charged with pointing gun at neighbor

A Brooksville man was arrested Saturday after a neighbor said he pointed a shotgun at him during an argument, Hernando deputies said.

Shane Justin Weingarth, 32, faces charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, a felony.

Weingarth was installing a pink fence on his property at 8284 Yellow Pine Ave. about 8:30 p.m. when his neighbor to the south asked him if he had a permit to do the work, according to a report from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

The two argued and Weingarth told the neighbor, “I do not have a permit. But I have a .22 Mag in my back pocket,” according to the report.

Weingarth then lifted his shirt and the neighbor thought he saw the silver frame of a handgun, deputies said.

Weingarth went back into his home and came out holding a black shotgun, which he pointed at the neighbor, deputies said.

The neighbor went in his home to call law enforcement and returned with a camera and photographed Weingarth holding the gun on his back porch, according to the report.

When a deputy arrived Weingarth said he had been arguing with his neighbor and retrieved his shotgun with three rounds, “One was in the chamber and two were in the tube,” the report said.

Weingarth told the deputy he got the gun “just for piece of mind. Just in case,” according to the report. Weingarth told the deputy he didn’t think he pointed the shotgun at the neighbor.

Weingarth was arrested and was being held on $2,500 bond.