DAYTON, Texas -- A man who fired at sheriff’s deputies who responded to a shots fired call just outside of Dayton early Tuesday morning took his own life, authorities said.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, deputies Rex Evans and Jeremy Marcantel arrived at the Woodland Hills subdivision just after 5 a.m. and were immediately fired upon. Both deputies were struck in the head and torso area with shrapnel and bullet fragments, officials said.
They were wearing protective vests at the time and suffered only minor injuries.
Family members said the alleged gunman, 48-year-old Rickey Juneau, had a history of schizophrenia, but they were unaware if he was on medication at the time of the incident. A niece said she was unaware that he even had a gun.
Family members said he lived in a mobile home on the property where police said the shooting occurred. Other family members lived on the same property in a nearby house.
Neighbors said they first heard gunfire around 4:30 a.m. After the deputies arrived and were shot at, law enforcement from Liberty County, DPS, and a SWAT team from Baytown surrounded the property and secured a perimeter completely around the Woodland Hills subdivision, believing the suspect might have escaped on foot.
But four hours later, when the SWAT team approached the home, they found the suspect dead in his backyard.
Neighbors who were ordered to stay in their homes until the danger passed told us they never expected anything like this their rural neighborhood.
"Not here," said neighbor Joe Loftin. "That’s why I moved from Houston to here to try to get away from everything, trying to get away from all the trouble."
Texas Rangers are now in charge of the investigation.
