Bowie Man Charged After Firing Gun Inside Home With Kids Present: Bowie Police Department

BOWIE, MD — The suspect wanted in connection to a shooting that happened in a Bowie home with children present July 9 has been arrested, police said.

A neighbor later identified by police as Michael Drew Hornfeck who they believed to be hallucinating broke into a home in the 2800 block of Sudberry Lane armed with a gun July 9, Bowie Police reported. The incident happened shortly before noon. The Bowie Police Dispatch Center received a call about a person breaking a bedroom window to gain access to the home. The caller said the suspect was armed with a rifle, Bowie Police said.

Seven minutes later, dispatchers heard gunshots over the phone while talking to the caller. Bowie Police arrived on the scene seconds later and also heard numerous shots fired. The neighborhood was put on lockdown and people in nearby residences were evacuated, according to the Bowie Police Department.

During a news conference, Bowie Police Chief Dwayne Preston clarified that shots were fired inside a Bowie home with children inside and at a neighboring home. The man and woman inside the home where shots were fired with children present were experiencing a "mental episode," the chief said. There were a total of seven people in the home when the incident happened, police said.

When the call first came in, officers believed it was a home invasion, but when they arrived at the scene, officers learned that Hornfeck was one of the residents of the home. While Hornfeck was firing the gun inside his home, that's when he hit the neighbor's home, Preston said during the news conference.

Hornfeck, armed with a handgun, ran out of the home toward the officers. Members of Bowie Police's Special Tactics and Response Team and patrol officers ordered Hornfeck to drop the weapon and he complied. The gun that was recovered was a Polymer 80 9mm. Two magazines also were recovered, including an extended magazine with a 30-round capacity, Bowie Police reported.

Police said during a search of the home they found several people and safely evacuated them. While on the scene, Hornfeck suddenly came out of the home and began running toward the officers with a gun. Officers said they ordered Hornfeck to drop his weapon and he listened.

Hornfeck has been charged with multiple criminal offenses including two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony/violent crime, two counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a handgun, disorderly conduct and possession of a loaded handgun.