An Auburn man was arrested Wednesday night after shooting his way into a house party and beating a man with the gun, police said.

The Auburn Police Department said in a news release that John Preston Small III, of 13 Wallace Ave., was at the party when he got into a fight with a 52-year-old man who lives at 27 Wallace Ave. over a debt that Small claimed was owed to him. When the argument started to turn physical, Small was escorted from the property, police said.

At around 9:45 p.m., Small is accused of returning to the house and shooting through the front door with a .22 caliber handgun, police said. He is accused of then forcing his way into the house and beating the resident with the gun.

Police said several of the party-goers intervened and forced Small from the home, where he was immediately arrested by officers responding to a call of gunfire.

Small was charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, second-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment, all felonies.

The victim was treated on the scene by emergency workers for cuts to his head, police said.

Small was arraigned in Auburn City Court by Judge Michael McKeon and remanded to the Cayuga County Jail without bail.

Officers recovered the gun at the scene and other charges are pending, police said.