A former Oklahoma judge has been arrested after allegedly firing a gun at trick-or-treaters and pointing the weapon at a responding police officer while intoxicated. Jerry Herberger, 73, was taken into custody on Halloween evening after reportedly discharging a firearm toward children, according to authorities.
Amy Sanders and her family were approaching Herberger's home because the lights were on when he began yelling at them. "Y’all need to get away from my house," Sanders recounted him saying, before adding, "I have a gun."
Sanders told KFOR that Herberger appeared drunk. "He was on the other side of that bench. He was hard on those people. Well, now it’s time for somebody to be hard on him," she said.
Herberger then fired the gun, with Sanders stating, "He was drunk, so when he aimed it and went to go shoot it, his hand went kind of willy-nilly and it just, it shot." She added that the trajectory of the shot narrowly missed her family.
Chaos ensued as the trick-or-treaters scrambled to safety. Sanders' son, Kaden Walls, called 911. When police arrived at the property, Herberger allegedly pointed the gun at one of the officers before being apprehended without further incident.
He faces charges including assault and battery with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm while intoxicated. The Duncan Police Department stated, "We are grateful that no one was reported injured and that everyone involved is safe."
Following the incident, Sanders indicated that her family's Halloween traditions would change, opting to hand out candy next year rather than go trick-or-treating. "That way we don’t have to worry about being shot," she told the outlet.