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<p>HAZLETON &#8212; One man suffered critical wounds from a shotgun and another was taken into custody without incident Tuesday after a shooting followed by standoff with police.</p><p>George Joseph Salata, 59, faces charges of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.</p><p>Police Chief Jerry Speziale said that at approximately 3 a.m., a traffic enforcement officer in the area of West 20th and North Locust streets heard a gunshot. Responding officers arrived to find a man kneeling down in the street with a bleeding facial injury.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint, the victim, identified as Michael Gontz, told police he had a problem with Salata, who then allegedly shot him. Gontz&#8217;s son later told police the altercation stemmed from Salata being &#8220;obsessed&#8221; with Gontz&#8217;s girlfriend.</p><p>While at Lehigh Valley-Hazleton Hospital, police said a CT scan showed there were shotgun pellets embedded in the right side Gontz&#8217;s face and neck area. He was then transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital at Cedar Crest for further treatment of serious, life-threatening injuries.</p><p>Police later learned Gontz had to undergo plastic surgery for &#8220;substantial&#8221; facial injuries. A nurse also told police hospital staff were assessing for arterial damage, and that Gontz may have suffered a brain bleed. Police also learned Gontz may have hearing loss due to damage to his inner ear, according to the criminal complaint.</p><p>Medical staff also told police Gontz will need multiple surgeries, and is in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit.</p><p>A witness reported hearing a loud explosion, then saw a man walking outside with a shotgun. The witness said the man walked through the property gate at 932 North Locus Street and went into the building.</p><p>Officers said footprints led from an area of bloody snow where Gontz was found to the gate and into the rear of 932 North Locust Street.</p><p>Officers determined Salata was in a third-floor apartment of the building after making contact with two men. The two men allegedly told police that Salata is a hunter and had a number of guns in the apartment.</p><p>Officers attempted to make contact with Salata, but received no response. Police from West Hazleton, as well as troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Hazleton, were on the scene.</p><p>Speziale said officers were able to obtain the suspect&#8217;s phone number and could hear the phone inside the residence when they called it.</p><p>Officers sealed off the location and a SWAT team was activated, Speziale said. As officers worked to get an arrest warrant, Salata allegedly came to the door and was arrested without incident.</p><p>During a protective sweep of the apartment Salata was in, officers allegedly found several long guns inside the apartment. Police then retreated and secured the apartment until a search warrant could be obtained.</p><p>Salata was arraigned on his charges before District Judge Joseph Zola on Tuesday, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 1.</p><p>He is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $100,000 bail.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Blood stained the snow at the intersection of West 20th and North Locust streets in Hazleton after police allege George Salata shot Michael Gontz early Tuesday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_IMG_4082-6.jpg</photo0><caption0>Blood stained the snow at the intersection of West 20th and North Locust streets in Hazleton after police allege George Salata shot Michael Gontz early Tuesday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_Sakata-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"><p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;>Salata </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_Sakata-1.jpg</photo1><caption1><p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;>Salata </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>One man injured, another in custody after incident</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

One man ‘critical,’ one in custody after shooting, standoff in Hazleton