Cobb Man Sentenced For Shooting At Stepdaughter During Argument

MABLETON, GA -- A Mableton man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for opening fire on his stepdaughter, Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced Wednesday. Gregory Peter Schmeelk, 51, was sentenced in April for aggravated assault-family violence and reckless conduct in the attack, which stemmed from a March 2016 incident.

Authorities said that Schmeelk, who had been drinking, got into an argument with his wife and his 23-year-old stepdaughter. The confrontation escalated when he began chasing the younger woman outside the home, pulling his Colt handgun and firing it in her direction. (To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the South Cobb Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

“That man was hunting down his stepdaughter while she’s whispering on the phone to 911,” Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines, who prosecuted the case with Assistant District Attorney Shep Orlow, said in a news release. “He asked the Cobb Police detective if he killed someone. This was a nightmare for these women, and not once did he show remorse for terrorizing them.”

Cobb Superior Court Judge A. Gregory Poole sentenced Schmeelk on Tuesday to 20 years, with 10 years mandatory behind bars and the rest on probation. Schmeelk is also ordered to not have any contact with the victims in the case.

Schmeelk was represented by Marietta attorney Scott Semrau. The defendant, who has been locked up since his arrest, will get credit for time served, the DA said.

Image via Cobb Sheriff's Office