Police: 2 people hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation after man fired gun in Prince George’s County neighborhood

A man who police said was having a mental illness fired a gun several times from his home in suburban Prince George’s County, Maryland, hitting a nearby residence and triggering a brief curfew, police said Tuesday.

The man was arrested and taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation – along with a woman in the house who, according to police, was also suffering from some form of stress.

Just before noon, dispatchers received a call about a man with a gun in the 2800 block of Sudberry Lane in Bowie.

Minutes later, arriving police heard numerous gunshots coming from inside the address and worked to rescue several people from inside, Bowie Police Chief Dwayne Preston told reporters at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Neighbors were asked to stay in their homes.

“And then suddenly a man armed with a gun ran out of the house toward the officers,” Preston said.

Officers from the department’s STAR (short for Special Tactics and Response) team ordered the man to drop his weapon and he complied, then was taken into custody.

“Our officers demonstrated great restraint and discipline by not using deadly force,” Preston said.

The man appeared to be hallucinating and was taken to hospital for evaluation. A woman inside also appeared to be “suffering from some type of distress” and was taken to hospital for psychological evaluation.

When asked what the relationship was between the two, Preston said it seemed like they were “involved in a personal relationship.”

Police have not yet determined the man’s identity, and Preston said prosecutors will review the case to determine whether charges should be filed.

A total of seven to eight people were in the house at the time, including some children, said the police chief. No one was injured.

Police found bullet holes in a neighbor’s house where the rifle struck. The neighbors were home at the time but were not injured, he said.

The weapon seized by police was a Polymer 80 9mm “Ghost Gun.” Police also seized two magazines, one of which was an extended magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds, the police chief said.

The first emergency calls to the police mentioned a possible break-in, but according to Preston, this turned out not to be the case.

The chief said officers had responded to emergency calls at the same address before, “but never on this scale.”

He praised the police officers who responded and pointed to their training, which prevented a more serious situation.

“I’m so proud of our officers,” he said. “Even with the staffing shortages we had, they were able to respond immediately.”

Regarding the STAR team, which handles active and high-risk incidents, the chief said: “They are trained for moments like this.”

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