Suspect barked like a dog and stabbed the ground before opening fire at Tampa apartment complex: HCSO

Barricaded suspect arrested: Full press conference

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister gives an update on a man who was arrested after deputies say he was stabbing the ground while growling and barking like a dog before opening fire on two apartment managers and barricading himself in a vehicle.

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County deputies have arrested a man they say was growling and barking like a dog as he stabbed the ground at a Tampa apartment complex before he opened fire on apartment managers and barricaded himself in a vehicle. 

What we know:

According to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, a maintenance worker at an apartment complex on the 2300 block of Campus Club Court saw the suspect acting like a dog and stabbing the ground, so she went to the apartment office, called 911 and told the manager and assistant manager what she saw. 

Chronister said the manager and assistant manager took a golf cart to see what was going on, and that’s when the suspect pulled out a gun. 

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As the pair turned to leave, Chronister said the suspect opened fire and a bullet hit the plastic window of the golf cart and shrapnel struck the manager, leaving her with minor injuries. 

Chronister added that bullets also hit nearby apartments. 

The 29-year-old suspect who the sheriff said recently moved into the complex after being discharged from the Marines, barricaded himself in a vehicle before deputies arrived. 

As deputies tried to talk to him, he was speaking unintelligibly, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. 

Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Dig deeper:

Chronister said the suspect was taking the gun and putting it under his chin and pointing it at his head. 

At one point, Chronister said the suspect put the gun on the dashboard and then put it on the passenger’s seat. 

Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Deputies tried to de-escalate the situation and develop a rapport, but he was uncommunicative. 

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As the SWAT team moved in with four armored vehicles, they discharged a gas irritant inside the vehicle, but the sheriff said it was ineffective. 

They moved in, opened the door, tried to remove the suspect from the car, but he was combative, so they tased him. That’s when they were able to remove him from the car and place him under arrest. 

Man barricaded inside vehicle taken into custody

A man who opened fire on apartment managers and barricaded himself in a vehicle was taken into custody.

What they're saying:

"I stand here expressing my gratitude. At least six shots were fired from our suspect and nobody was seriously injured," Chronister stated. 

What's next:

The suspect is facing two attempted murder charges.