WAXAHACHIE, Texas (KXAN) — An Austin man is in custody after taking a gun into a Waxahachie emergency room and pointing it at his child Saturday night.
Police at the scene tell NBC DFW that 20-25 people were inside the ER when the man walked in with a gun around 6:23 p.m. NBC DFW says the man, Lorenzo Zarate, held a gun to the torso of his baby girl inside Baylor Scott and White Medical Center.
Witnesses tell NBC DFW Zarate calmly told the people inside to leave immediately. Police said Zarate, 32, then handed the baby over to hospital employees and a stand-off ensued. He was taken into custody a little over an hour later.
A second child who was inside Zarate’s vehicle in the parking lot was also secured by officers.
Police say they are not sure why Zarate stopped at the hospital after driving from Austin. The suspect is currently in the Ellis County Jail charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, terrorist threats and attempt to take weapon from an officer.
According to police at the scene, family members of the man’s children are on their way to Waxahachie from Austin.
