Early Sunday morning a 48-year-old man was taken into custody after inciting a standoff with police that lasted for two hours. The man shot his 49-year-old girlfriend multiple times and was threatening the other members of the house.
The victim’s 29-year-old daughter, her boyfriend, and their baby were all still in the house with the gunman. After he shot her mother, he threatened the daughter saying, “I just shot your mother, and now I’m going to shoot everyone in the house.” A neighbor told reporters that he called the daughter’s boyfriend trying to check on them, but he shushed the neighbor and told him he had to call him back; the couple had locked themselves into a bedroom with their child to try to keep safe.
Police arrived on scene at 2:58 AM where there was then a standoff between the 48-year-old gunman and the SWAT team. The standoff went on for two hours before the gunman was found and captured while hiding in the crawl space under the home’s garden.
Neighbors told police and reporters that the gunman had been dating the 49-year-old victim for over two years and that “he was leaning on her . . . she bought him a car . . . she take care of the household. He didn’t talk much, he just followed her around everywhere she go.” A different neighbor, Earl, told reporters that he overheard the couple in a loud argument around 2:30 AM that Sunday morning as he was coming home. He said, “I hear a woman shouting, screaming loud at someone. I didn’t pay attention. I heard it before. This neighborhood can be rowdy. . . Then I heard the helicopter.”
When police took the gunman into custody, they found the 49-year-old girlfriend with bullet wounds to her torso, head and leg, and EMS brought the woman to the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. The woman was unfortunately announced deceased upon arrival.
Police have not released any names or further information about the incident. The man is still in police custody and the rest of the victim’s family is safe.