Man Fires Gun Inside Home With Kids Present, Hits Neighbor's House: Bowie Police

BOWIE, MD — A neighbor believed to be hallucinating broke into a home in the 2800 block of Sudberry Lane armed with a gun Tuesday, police say.

The incident happened shortly before noon July 9. The Bowie Police Dispatch Center received a call about a person breaking a bedroom window to gain access to the home. The caller said the suspect was armed with a rifle, Bowie Police said.

Seven minutes later, dispatchers heard gunshots over the phone while talking to the caller. Bowie Police arrived on the scene seconds later and also heard numerous shots fired. The neighborhood was put on lockdown and people in nearby residences were evacuated, according to the Bowie Police Department.

During a news conference, Bowie Police Chief Dwayne Preston clarified that shots were fired inside a Bowie home with children inside and at a neighboring home. The man and woman inside the home where shots were fired with children present were experiencing a "mental episode," the chief said. There were a total of seven people in the home when the incident happened, police said.

When the call first came in, officers believed it was a home invasion, but when they arrived at the scene, officers learned that the man was one of the residents of the home. While the man was firing the gun inside his home, that's when he hit the neighbor's home, Preston said during the news conference.

The resident armed with a handgun ran out of the home toward the officers. Members of Bowie Police's Special Tactics and Response Team and patrol officers ordered the man to drop the weapon and he complied. The gun that was recovered is a Polymer 80 9mm. Two magazines also were recovered, including an extended magazine with a 30-round capacity, Bowie Police reported.

"Our officers showed great restraint and discipline by not using deadly force and the male was taken into custody. Investigation revealed that several rounds fired by the male struck the home next door. The homeowners were home but, thankfully, were not injured. The male who fired the gun appeared to be hallucinating and was taken to a local hospital," Preston said. "I am thankful that no one was injured in this incident. I appreciate the cooperation and support of our residents, I’m incredibly proud of the courage, leadership and professionalism displayed by our dispatchers and officers during this critical incident."

Police said during a search of the home they found several people and safely evacuated them.
While on the scene, the man suddenly came out of the home and began running towards the officers with a gun. Officers said they ordered the man to drop his weapon and he listened.
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SkyTrak7 flew over the neighborhood where the situation unfolded, as officers continued to investigate. Police said this is not the first time they've been called to the home.

Officers said they later recovered the weapon and took the man into custody for a psychological evaluation.
Dwayne Preston, Police Chief of the City of Bowie Police Department, said he is thankful that no one was injured, and that the officers "showed great restraint and discipline by not using deadly force."