A man who was barricaded in a home in the Hyannis section of Barnstable, Massachusetts, has a history of alleged threatening behavior.
Justin Moreira, 30, was arrested after an hourslong standoff at a home on St. Francis Circle Wednesday morning, which led to evacuations and a shelter-in-place order for Barnstable schools, authorities say.
Back in 2022, Moreira was arrested after allegedly threatening a shooting at an unnamed school.
Police responded Wednesday to a report of a person holding another person at knifepoint. The caller told a police dispatcher that people were able to leave the home, but that the suspect, later identified as Moreira, remained inside.
Barnstable police arrived on scene and contained Moreira inside the home. The Cape Cod Regional SWAT Team arrived a short time later and took command of the incident.
Police say Moreira fired on a SWAT ballistic vehicle, also shooting periodically near officers surrounding the house.
"Later in the standoff, the Massachusetts State Police deployed a robotic dog inside the home in a further attempt to locate and convince Moreira to come out of the home, but he shot the robot and partially disabled it," the Barnstable Police Department said in a press release.
A shelter-in-place was initially sent out for everyone within a 1-mile radius of the location, and homes in the immediate area were evacuated as a precaution.
Moreira was arrested on charges, including attempted murder. He is due to be arraigned Thursday.
Isack Gomes and his family were told to evacuate their homes because they lived so close. He said he heard gunshots.
"I heard it from my room then they knocked on the door and told us to get out," he told NBC10 Boston
Barnstable High School, Barnstable Intermediate School, Hyannis West Elementary School, Enoch Cobb Early Learning Center and Barnstable Community Innovation School also issued a shelter in place, Barnstable Public Schools said.
Around 10:30 a.m., police notified school administrators that there was no danger to any students attending nearby schools since the suspect was confined to his home.
It was not immediately clear if Moreira had an attorney.
