The Norman Police Department received a call from a resident in the area of 58th Avenue NE and Robinson Street who reported their residence had been struck by gunfire on March 28th at about 3:15 p.m. The residents advised the gunfire was continuing and that no one had been injured. Upon their arrival, officers were able to confirm no one was injured and that the house had been damaged by possible gunfire.
While on the scene, continuing gunfire placed both the residents and officers in danger. Officers were able to ensure the residents exited the area before beginning to make contact with other nearby houses to verify any occupants were also safe.
Officers on the scene attempted to make phone contact with the subject believed to be firing in their direction but received no answer. A voicemail was left advising of the danger and requesting the shooting to stop. As officers continued contacting nearby residents, additional shots were fired towards the separated groups of officers, pinning them down, as they moved along the roadway more than 200 yards apart. During this time, one occupied detective vehicle was struck while it was attempting to leave the area to contact the original family.
In response to the continued gunfire, which nearly struck officers, one officer activated his vehicle siren to ensure the subject was aware of the officer’s presence and the danger the actions were creating. In response, additional shots were fired in the direction of the vehicle which had activated its siren.
As officers continued to ensure others in the area were safe, the subject continued to shoot in their direction resulting in numerous shots striking near them. As the officers attempted to seek cover, they observed an adult entering a residence in the area of imminent danger that was being cleared.
Officers began trying to warn the resident while additional shots were again fired in their direction. At this time, the officers ran to the residence to ensure his safety. While seeking cover, two other residents were located in the house which was also being shot at. The three residents and two officers were able to seek cover behind the building as gunfire continued to strike nearby.
With three residents and five officers pinned down in two separate locations and limited cover, the suspect continued to fire in their direction while remaining in a thick wooded area where he could not be observed or located. Norman Police SWAT responded to the scene. After arrival of other metro tactical teams, multiple armored vehicles were deployed to safely remove the residents and officers from danger. From the time they became pinned down, the rescue of the residents took more than one hour to complete.
Once the area was secured, officers, detectives, and negotiators began a lengthy process of attempting to make contact with the suspect. Despite numerous phone calls, texts, and public address efforts from vehicles, no contact was ever established. During the ensuing hours, sporadic gunfire occurred with decreasing frequency. While no additional people appeared to be targeted, a drone deployed by officers to help in assessing the situation appeared to be shot at. After obtaining a search warrant for the location where the gunfire was originating from, tactical teams were able to use armored vehicles to safely approach the location to again attempt to make contact. Multiple additional attempts to make contact and encourage the suspect to surrender peacefully were made with no success.
At about 11 p.m., while clearing a structure on the property, the suspect was located. As officers continued providing commands to the subject requesting his peaceful surrender, a single gunshot was heard. Officers immediately entered the area and located the subject suffering from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers and tactical medics at the scene evaluated the injury and attempted to render aid. The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The location of the incident is believed to be the subject’s residence. No other persons are believed to be involved in the incident. One of the residents who sought shelter with the original responding officers suffered a medical related episode during the incident. The adult resident was evaluated at the scene with no medical care being necessary. No other persons were injured during the incident. No officers or residents discharged their weapons during the incident.
The ongoing investigation into this incident has verified three separate houses, a large workshop, an RV, and two vehicles dispersed over a large area sustained damage from the suspect’s actions. Some of the structures sustained significant internal and external damage. The majority of the damage to the houses appears to be focused on doors and windows, possibly further indicating the suspects intent to cause harm to those occupying them. (See attached diagram)
The Norman Police Department would like to thank the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Moore Police Department for their assistance in providing equipment and resources that were critical to ensuring the safety of the nearby residents and our officers. We are also greatly appreciative of the ongoing relationship between our agency, EMSSTAT, The American Red Cross, and the Norman Fire Department who also assisted during the incident.
