(BUTTE) A bizarre and violent scene occurred in an office building in Uptown Butte early Thursday evening when a gunman fired several shots in the building and then leapt from a second story window.
The incident began at about 4:30 p.m. when a man armed with a 9mm handgun entered the Butte Police Department’s lobby on North Alaska Street claiming he was in danger.
He then left the lobby of the police department, walked across the street to and entered the Synesis7 office building. Police followed him and began evacuating the employees.
Sheriff Ed Lester said, “The officers continued to evacuate and the people were evacuated themselves because he made bizarre comments, I’m not sure exactly what he said, but he did indicate he would shoot anybody who wasn’t wearing a badge.”
Employees were able to escape the building unharmed.
Then the gunman started firing through a second story widow.
Sheriff Lester: “He fired somewhere between four or five rounds from 9mm handgun through a window from the office building on the second floor. The building across the street sustained a gunshot to one of the windows and then he jumped out the window causing injury to himself and was taken into custody right outside the window.”
The man was taken to St. James HealthCare with what are described as “extreme injuries” to his lower body.
Investigators are still not sure what caused this violent outburst, but say the man was acting very erratically.
Sheriff Lester: “He said he needed some help and indicated somebody was after him. We don’t know whether he was having some mental situation or was under the influence of methamphetamine or some other narcotic.”
The investigation into this violent incident continues.
- Reported by John Emeigh
