The man who exchanged gunfire with police Monday night in Harrisburg apparently decided he would rather die than be taken into custody.
The Dauphin County Coroner says the 24-year-old Philadelphia man died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
Police don’t know how long Abel Roman had been living at 13G Hall Manor. Law enforcement had been looking for him since August.
U.S. Marshals tracked him to Harrisburg Monday and sought to take him into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant.
The Marshals arrived around 2:30 Monday afternoon, only to encounter a barricaded gunman and called Harrisburg Police. The Dauphin County Crisis Response Team was activated and called for assistance from teams from York and Lancaster Counties.
Gun fire rang out. About 1:30 Tuesday morning, police entered the apartment and found Roman dead.
“They were all close wounds,” explained Coroner Graham Hetrick. “They were shotgun wounds, and the angles were consistent with them being self-inflicted.”
“I can say categorically these were not from the police,” Hetrick continued.
Police exchanged gunfire with Roman several times. They estimate a hundred shots were fired.
During one exchange, a police officer was wounded by shrapnel. Police also tried to communicate with the gunman with no success.
Tear gas was fired at the building. Police then sent a robot inside and determined the suspect had died.
“As long as I’ve been here for as many years as I have, this is probably the most horrific barricaded suspect I’ve even seen,” commented Harrisburg Police Chief Pierre Ritter.
Investigators remained at the scene through Tuesday morning, collecting evidence and documenting the nine-hour stand off.
The Coroner said the shooter died around 11 o’clock p.m. He suffered no other injuries except some abrasions consistent with flying glass. He said he was wearing street clothes and no protective armor.
The Dauphin County Coroner says the 24-year-old Philadelphia man died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
Police don’t know how long Abel Roman had been living at 13G Hall Manor. Law enforcement had been looking for him since August.
U.S. Marshals tracked him to Harrisburg Monday and sought to take him into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant.
The Marshals arrived around 2:30 Monday afternoon, only to encounter a barricaded gunman and called Harrisburg Police. The Dauphin County Crisis Response Team was activated and called for assistance from teams from York and Lancaster Counties.
Gun fire rang out. About 1:30 Tuesday morning, police entered the apartment and found Roman dead.
“They were all close wounds,” explained Coroner Graham Hetrick. “They were shotgun wounds, and the angles were consistent with them being self-inflicted.”
“I can say categorically these were not from the police,” Hetrick continued.
Police exchanged gunfire with Roman several times. They estimate a hundred shots were fired.
During one exchange, a police officer was wounded by shrapnel. Police also tried to communicate with the gunman with no success.
Tear gas was fired at the building. Police then sent a robot inside and determined the suspect had died.
“As long as I’ve been here for as many years as I have, this is probably the most horrific barricaded suspect I’ve even seen,” commented Harrisburg Police Chief Pierre Ritter.
Investigators remained at the scene through Tuesday morning, collecting evidence and documenting the nine-hour stand off.
The Coroner said the shooter died around 11 o’clock p.m. He suffered no other injuries except some abrasions consistent with flying glass. He said he was wearing street clothes and no protective armor.