WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) - Law enforcement launched tear gas canisters into an auto body shop and used a Taser to safely take a gunman into custody Tuesday, more than three hours after he shot an employee and barricaded himself inside.
The shooter, Michael Sean Taylor, was spray painting the shop's windows black so officers couldn't see inside and deputies decided to break through the door, York-Poquoson Sheriff Danny Diggs told reporters.
"The situation just deteriorated," Diggs said. "He broke off contact with us. He was doing some other things that led us to believe that this was not going to end well."
Earlier in the morning, Taylor, 40, of Hampton, Virginia, had walked into Ebby's Auto Painting & Collision Repair in Williamsburg to settle a dispute with one of its employees, Diggs said. Taylor fired several shots from a handgun, authorities said.
Diggs did not identify the victim but said he had gone into surgery at a nearby hospital.
At least nine employees were working inside the building. As they fled, Diggs said one person was taken hostage for "a few minutes" before Taylor let the person go.
Diggs said sheriff's deputies had "intermittent" communications with Taylor as they tried to negotiate with him to surrender. Area schools locked down and a hospital limited access to visitors.
Diggs said during negotiations that police had tried to respond to Taylor's requests "as best we could." However, the talks eventually broke down.
Bystanders could hear several bangs as the sheriff's deputies stormed the building. Diggs said they sent four rounds of tear gas into the auto body shop before using an explosive charge to break through a large steel door.
Diggs declined to release more details about Taylor's alleged actions in order to ensure "he gets a fair trial."
He also praised the work of his deputies, saying "we are very pleased that no one else got injured."