SAN ANTONIO — A father escaped death by mere centimeters when a stray bullet pierced through his northwest side apartment, loved ones say.
It happened at the Amber Hill Apartments on Monday.
According to investigators, the suspect likely suffered a mental health episode when he began shooting through his front door. That same man was wanted for allegedly firing shots at random vehicles in the area on Sunday.
“The first bullet entered right up here,” said Shea Bishop, pointing to a bullet hole in the wall. “It went right over the very top of my husband’s head while he was sitting [on the couch watching TV]. It barely scraped the top of his head and went straight into the TV. The calendar was blocking the bullet hole, so it was camouflaged. We thought it was the TV blowing up.”
Shea told KENS 5 it is a miracle her husband wasn’t killed.
“If he just jumped up at the noise or moved, the bullet would have hit him in the head,” she said. “We could be having a very different conversation right now. I could be sitting here a widow; my son could have no father. I really can’t put words to that.”
The Bishops had just finished eating dinner with their 14-year-old son on Monday when the first bullet entered their apartment.
Everything was captured on Ring video.
You can see their neighbor entering his apartment across the hall earlier that evening. At 6:54 p.m., two women are seen knocking on the suspect’s door. At 7:04 p.m., the first shot is fired through his door.
Once David Bishop realized what was happening, he barricaded his family in his son’s bedroom and called 911.
“They called back about 40 minutes later asking if we still needed help, if there was still a situation,” said David. “[The officer] said, ‘Oh, I am sorry, we got caught up with traffic accidents because of the weather.’”
According to the Bishops, it took an hour for police to arrive. Neighbors say SWAT officers threw tear gas into the suspect’s apartment through his balcony and tried to coax him out.
Another neighbor told KENS 5 the building was evacuated nearly three hours after the shooting.
By the time a SWAT team entered the apartment, it was nearly midnight, and the suspect was no longer inside.
Ring video shows the suspect didn’t leave the apartment through the front door.
“He had plenty of time to jump off his balcony, which is what I think he did,” David said.
Three bullets made it into the Bishop’s home. One of them was still lodged in the couch when KENS 5 met with the family on Tuesday.
“Don’t take anything for granted,” said Shea. “Anything can happen at any time, by anyone, anywhere; even in the comfort of your own home. Hug your family because you just never know what can happen.”
Officials confirmed the 62-year-old suspect was arrested Tuesday night for parole violation. He is being held while the investigation continues.