A man who barricaded himself inside a Waco apartment has been identified.
Waco Police said the man had barricaded himself around 3:40 a.m. Friday at an apartment complex in the 8800 block of Old McGregor Rd.
Police said the initial call was that a man was threatening suicide. When police arrived to the scene, officers learned the suspect fired multiple rounds damaging one vehicle and an apartment.
The man was identified as 32-year-old Antonio Day Avila.
Carlos Fernandez who owns the damaged home said it all started when the suspect came back home around 1:30 a.m. and he complained about him and another neighbor playing baseball.
The 32-year-old claims that Avila called the police twice and soon after started firing shots toward his apartment. He wasn't hurt but the man he was playing catch with had a minor injury.
"My neighbor turned around and came running back. I let him in and two seconds after I close and lock the door, [that's] when the two bullets pierce through the door, creating quite a bit of damage," Fernandez said.
Fernandez said his instincts kicked in when the situation happened.
"At the time, I wasn't scared. There was no fear, really, no thoughts other than get your kids, get your wife, get them in a safe spot. That's the only thing going through my mind," Fernandez said.
Soon after, the suspect who police said had mental health issues went back to his apartment and barricaded himself.
At that time, they closed off Hewitt Drive as a precaution.
"Any time have an individual that is so careless in his actions, shoots through an apartment door multiple rounds, we don't know what he is liable to do. We take the stance we are going to secure the neighborhood. We are going to block traffic off to keep anybody from getting injured," Waco Police Sgt. Patrick Swanton said.
The Waco SWAT team entered the apartment and discovered Avila in a bedroom, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, Hewitt Police Department, McLennan County Sheriff's Office and the Woodway Public Safety Department assisted.
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