MARYSVILLE – Police rescued three family members who had crawled out on their roof early this morning after a 52-year-old man became agitated about losing his job and fired off some shots.
At about 4 a.m. in the 12800 block of 43rd Avenue the man went outside and shot off some rounds from a firearm, Marysville police spokesman Robb Lamoureux said. Family called 9-1-1 and went to an upstairs bedroom.
When police arrived, the family members crawled out a window onto the roof and down to the top of the garage. Using a ladder they safely got out.
“It was at the opposite end of the house” as the man with the gun, Lamoureux said. “We didn’t think they were in any danger.”
He added that he doesn’t think the gunman even knew police were there yet.
“We then stepped back and slowed things down. We didn’t want him to harm himself,” Lamoureux said.
The man wouldn’t answer the phone, so police moved a vehicle close to the house and talked to him through a loudspeaker. He soon came out and was taken into custody without incident.
The ex-military man was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
“He lost his job recently, and that seemed to be the catalyst for the event,” Lamoureux said.
