UPDATE: Attempted Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Updated Feb. 25, 2:45 p.m.

On Monday, David P. Seitz pled not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple felony charges stemming from a Dec. 29 incident where he allegedly tried to shoot his girlfriend with an assault rifle.

Seitz, 27, of Cuyahoga Falls, appeared before Judge Paul Gallagher in a pretrial hearing Monday and entered the insanity plea.

Gallagher ordered a psychiatric evaluation, and will hold a status hearing on April 8, according to a court spokesperson.

Seitz was arraigned in the Summit County court on Feb. 15 and initially pled not guilty to "attempted murder, felonious assault and improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school, all second-degree felonies; two counts of domestic violence, one a first-degree misdemeanor and the other a fourth-degree misdemeanor; and using weapons while intoxicated, a first-degree misdemeanor," the Falls News-Press reports.

Seitz's lawyer, Scott Rilley, told the Falls New-Press the decision to change his plea stemmed from his client's reported post traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses he suffered during three tours of duty as a U.S. Army soldier in Iraq.

He remains in Summit County Jail and is being held on a $1 million surety bond.

Dec. 29 incident

A heated domestic dispute almost ended in murder when Seitz allegedly tried to shoot his girlfriend with an AR-15 assault rifle on Dec. 29 at 10:12 p.m.

The woman told police she was choked and assaulted, and said Seitz threatened to kill her, then himself, according to a message posted on the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department's Facebook page.

Seitz reportedly fired off six rounds as he and his girlfriend struggled for control of the weapon.

The pair suffered minor injuries during the incident that allegedly took place inside the High Street residence they shared. 

According to police, the rifle and ammunition belonged to Seitz's girlfriend and were being stored inside the residence prior to the dispute.

The couple was outside their residence as officers arrived at 10:16 p.m., four minutes after police received the call.

"Prior to officers arriving, things had calmed down and the victim was able to place the gun in the garage away from the suspect," Cuyahoga Falls Police Lt. Steve Guldeman told the Falls News-Press.