Heavy Police Activity at Richland Home Depot: UPDATE

Update (10/26 1:00pm)

The heavy police response followed reports of the man acting strangely and dangerously in the nearby Fairchild Cinemas, the Home Depot parking lot and inside the home improvement store.

Witnesses say he got into an argument with family at the theater and left on foot to the Home Depot parking lot where he damaged a vehicle and pointed the gun at passengers.

He reportedly told them "It's not you, it's me" before walking to the entrance of Home Depot.

Detectives received witness accounts that the gunman threatened employees and customers inside the store before giving the gun to a customer service representative and instructing her to call police.

Shortly after surrendering the gun, witnesses say the man demanded to have it back, recovered it from the service counter, and pointed the pistol at several people.

Police learned from witnesses that the suspect then pointed the gun at the store manager and pulled the trigger.

The gun didn't fire. Detectives say he either removed the magazine beforehand or threw the gun to the ground and the magazine discarded the bullets.

When the gun failed to fire, the suspect attempted, again, to fire the pistol before throwing it on the ground and walking to the front of the store where he was then contacted by responding officers.

He was booked into jail on charges of attempted murder, 1st degree assault and 2nd degree assault.

Original Story:

A man brandishing a firearm triggered a heavy police response to Home Depot along Richland's Queensgate Drive last night.

Officers quickly arrived on scene, took the man into custody, and recovered the gun. No shots were fired.

This witness, who didn't want to be identified, watched the arrest unfold.

"(man) standing at the door. Cops showed up. He turned himself in. No fight, no struggle. Voluntarily turned himself in. Gun was on the ground."

Police surrounded the store and sealed the area with barricade tape. Officers searched the store and surrounding parking lot to make sure the area was safe.

They identified no other threats.

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