CHICORA — A northern Butler County man accused of firing a shotgun blast at his longtime girlfriend will have his mental health evaluated as he awaits possible trial on criminal charges.

But at the request of his girlfriend, James A. Schranner, 54, of Venango Township, will no longer face a top charge of attempted homicide.

State police arrested Schranner on Oct. 26 after he allegedly shot at Marian K. Brewer during an argument at the couple’s home on Lake Clair Lane off Jamison Road.

The gunshot missed Brewer, who was in a car attempting to get away. She was not injured.

Schranner was arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, simple assault and harassment.

He was placed in the Butler County Prison on $150,000 bail, following arraignment.

Schranner was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Tuesday before District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora. Instead, a deal reached between attorneys for the prosecution and defense made the hearing moot.

As part of the agreement, Russ Karl, a Butler County assistant district attorney, agreed to withdraw the most serious charge, a first-degree felony.

In turn, Schranner, on the advice of his attorney, Al Lindsay, waived all the other charges to court.

The most serious remaining charge, aggravated assault, is a second-degree felony.

Karl also recommended that Schranner’s bail be reduced to $1, to help with his psychiatric treatment.

“He is to be released from the Butler County Prison depending on his being admitted to a mental health facility,” Lindsay told Stoughton.

Other conditions of the proposed agreement, Lindsay said, would require that Schranner comply with all treatment recommendations and that he remain under pretrial supervision by the county’s adult probation office.

Additionally, Schranner is to have no contact with Brewer, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and have no firearms.

“This agreement was made with the officer, victim and district attorney,” Lindsay told Stoughton, who accepted the deal.

“The deal was requested by the victim; she wants to see (Schranner) get help,” Karl said following the court proceedings. “She believes he has drug and alcohol and mental health issues.”

Brewer, who was prepared to testify at the hearing, remained in Stoughton’s chambers and never appeared in the courtroom.

She and Schranner have been a couple for 27 years, authorities said.

Police shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 26 were called to the couple’s home for a reported domestic dispute.

During the argument, Brewer later told troopers, she tried to leave in her car. She said Schranner followed her outside and threw a knife at the vehicle, hitting the windshield.

Schranner went back inside the home and came out with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to court documents.

He allegedly pointed the gun at Brewer while she was in the driver’s seat of the car and told her he was going to kill her

Brewer ducked down behind the dashboard and heard a shot fired, police said.

Schranner then told Brewer he was going to come out shooting when police arrived so they would have to kill him, documents said.

But when police got there, Schranner was arrested without incident.

Troopers inspected the car and found damage to its front end apparently caused by buckshot pellets, documents said.

A 12-gauge shotgun was recovered outside the home.

Schranner told police that he was upset with Brewer and fired a round into the air away from her. But when shown the damage to the vehicle, Schranner admitted he must have shot at her,

Later, while police were preparing charges against him, Schranner said, according to documents, “When I get home I’m going to shoot the (expletive) out of my old lady.”

Outside the courtroom Tuesday, Lindsay, asked if his client regrets his actions that night, said, “Goodness, yes.”

He added that Schranner also knows he needs professional help.

“He has mental health issues that he recognizes,” Lindsay said of Schranner.

Authorities also revealed that the week before the shooting, Schranner had voluntarily checked himself into Butler Memorial Hospital for psychiatric treatment.

But his stay lasted only two days, Karl and Lindsay said.