An East County landlord shot his tenant Thursday night in a dispute over utility bills, sheriff’s officials said.

The tenant confronted the landlord, who pulled a gun and fired two rounds, sheriff’s Detective Garth Schick said. One round missed, but the other hit the victim in his upper thigh.

The men live in separate homes on the same spacious property along Valle de Paz Road, off Hawley Road.

They were in a dispute, partly over utility bills, Schick said.


He said the 48-year-old tenant thought his landlord, Michael McGinley, had shut off his electricity. He went to McGinley’s house to complain.

McGinley pointed a 10mm handgun at the other man and fired twice, Schick said. One round hit the victim near his right hip.

Sheriff’s deputies went to the property about 10:20 p.m. The victim was taken to a trauma center and McGinley was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Schick said.