A man armed with a gun broke into an assisted living and extended care facility in Sharpstown, Texas May 12 and was talked down by a certified nursing assistant until police arrived, ABC13 reported.
Diana Paul, a certified nursing assistant at Clarewood House, said the man entered the facility at 1:40 a.m. According to Patrick Pheifer, executive director of the facility, the man jumped a fence and entered through a door, which triggered an alarm at the nurses' station. The alarm was also supposed to trigger for security, but did not for unknown reasons.
Ms. Paul went to investigate and found the man, identified as Dean Williams. He attempted to enter two rooms before he dropped to the floor next to Ms. Paul, saying things like "they're coming for me. They're coming for me," and putting his hands up, according to the report.
Ms. Paul worked to keep Mr. Williams calm. He withdrew a gun from his clothing and placed it inside a cabinet. He then began pacing and hid in another room. Ms. Paul called 911, during which Mr. Williams "became increasingly anxious and told her not to look at him," the report said.
Police arrived and arrested Mr. Williams as he began approaching residents' rooms and hovering in their doorways. They retrieved the gun, which they discovered was unloaded. Houston police charged Mr. Williams with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, according to the report.
Since the incident, Ms. Paul has been afraid to return to work and shared concerns over how management handled the situation.
"I don't know if I'll have a job after this interview, but it is what it is," Ms. Paul told ABC13. "It's about integrity, and it's about keeping your employees safe."
ABC13 said Mr. Pheifer called the station, repeatedly inquiring about who the reporter was receiving information from before eventually hanging up. He did not answer the reporter's questions of whether the residents' families had been notified of the incident.
"While proximity to a firearm understandably arouses fear, Clarewood House's residents were not in danger. He did not enter any resident's rooms," Mr. Pheifer said in a statement to ABC13.