Man in custody after shooting at Pflugerville apartment

Policed arrived at the Highlands Luxury Apartments in Pflugerville shortly after 11:00 Wednesday night. The scene at the intersection of South Heatherwilde and Wells Branch Parkway was far from secured according to Pflugerville Police Lt. Chet Veronka.

“When officers arrived shots were still being fired,” said Lt. Veronka.

Residents were evacuated during a standoff that folowed at building one between Pflugerville police and a gunman. Julie Glidewell told FOX 7 Austin that her apartment is directly across from  the unit where the gun shots started  coming from. 

“At first we thought it was like firecrackers, but then it got louder.”

Several shots crashed through the walls of her apartment and  a bullet grazed her nephew’s foot.

Investigators estimate that more than 50 rounds were fired. “It went on for hours we hid in the bathroom and we had had to hide in the closet and just like lay down on the ground and there was four of us,” said Glidewell.

Maureen and Michelle Akpaka said they were in their mother’s second-floor apartment watching the standoff unfold. “You could see him pacing back-and-forth with the gun peeping open the sheets to shoot at the cops and the cops are shooting back it was just crazy,” said Michelle Akpaka.

The sisters recorded cellphone video as a police drone flew over the complex.

Maureen Akpaka can be heard on the video describing the scene from their balcony. “On the other side of the bright light is where everything is going on you can see that window to the right of the light is broken.” The sisters say the saw someone jump out of a window and at first thought it was a hostage.

“When they shot the window he was able to knock the window off and he jumped head first onto the floor and heard police  say put the gun down  put the gun down put the gun down and he said OK OK OK and he was screaming ah ah,” said Michelle Akpaka.

After the gunman had been taken into custody Julie Glidewell returned to the apartment complex to check on her car. Building 1 and the courtyard behind it remained sealed off as Crime scene analysis processed evidence. “I think my apartment was the only one that got hit with bullets but there’s like big shotgun shells outside and casings and stuff,” said Glidewell.

By midday some residents were allowed back into their apartments.

A Mercedes sedan was also removed from the complex. It appeared to have been shot at during the incident - two dent marks could be seen  on the hood as a tow truck carried it away.

The name of the 31-year-old man who police took into custody will be released after charges are filed. He suffered a non-life-threatening self-inflicted gunshot wound according to a statement from the Pflugerville Police Department.

Officials at PPD also claim no shots were fired by the officers at the scene.