San Antonio, Texas was rocked by a harrowing incident on Wednesday night, as seven police officers were shot by a barricaded suspect in the Stone Oak neighborhood. The suspect, described as a man in his 40s, was later found dead from a gunshot wound, though it’s unclear whether he shot himself or was hit by police gunfire.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus confirmed that the ordeal began when officers responded to a distress call from a family member of the suspect, reporting a “suicide in progress” at an apartment complex. The first officer on the scene was immediately shot in the lower extremity, followed by another officer arriving at the same time. As reinforcements arrived, additional officers were targeted, with at least four being wounded—three of whom were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
In a shocking update, Chief McManus later revealed that the total number of officers shot had actually climbed to seven, though the condition of the other three remains unknown. The incident prompted the evacuation of surrounding units as police worked to contain the situation for several hours.
A resident of the apartment complex, Joseph Loredo, described hearing a series of gunshots and seeing helicopters overhead. “I just heard a loud pop… then we heard more shots. It was like two or three shots,” Loredo told CBS San Antonio affiliate KENS-TV.
The suspect had a history of arrests, with recent charges including assault and driving while intoxicated, and was out on bond at the time of the shooting, according to police.
The community is now left to grapple with the aftermath of this violent encounter, as the investigation continues.
