MIAMI — A 64-year-old ex-marine was taken into custody early Friday after a standoff at a Miami homeless shelter that involved gunfire but left no one injured, authorities said.
Miami police said the incident began around 8:27 p.m. Thursday when officers responded to a report that a man was pointing a gun at another man at 400 Northwest Third Court.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with a witness who said the suspect, who police identified as Frederick Norman Kelch, had pointed the gun at him and his father.
While interviewing the father in their apartment, officers learned the suspect remained inside and armed.
The father stated in an arrest report that Kelch is a former marine and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
As officers announced their presence, authorities said Kelch emerged with the gun, prompting an exchange of gunfire.
They said no one was hurt, and Kelch then barricaded himself inside the Camillus House homeless shelter near Northwest Third Court and Fourth Street.
Thursday report:
SWAT teams were called in, and police confirmed that one officer fired a shot during the incident.
Jail records show Kelch faces charges including aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, illegal use or display of a firearm while committing a felony, and third-degree grand theft.
Police tape surrounded the shelter Friday morning, with investigators photographing and marking evidence, including bullet holes in a sliding glass door connected to the standoff. The area has since reopened.
Residents expressed surprise at the incident.
One resident noted, “Mostly veterans live here. All of the people that were living here that weren’t so good all got evicted or left on their own so I’m surprised.”
Another nearby resident, Genesis Bustos, said she tried to stay out of the way while walking her children to a doctor’s appointment.
He appeared in court Saturday morning, where a judge set bond at $12,500 and ordered him to stay away from the two victims involved in the incident.
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