After a man threatened to go on a shooting spree in the city, Gainesville Police officers searched Bivens North Condominiums for about an hour Sunday, eventually detaining the unarmed man and sending him to a psychiatric facility for treatment.
Ming Rowell, 48, who was found with an American flag in his possession, called police multiple times, stating he would “shoot up different areas of town,” wrote GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias in a text message.
At about 3 p.m., officers armed with handguns and assault rifles started their search near and outside the office building shared by the Alligator and the Gainesville Sun, located at 2700 S.W. 13th Street.
They then cut through a wooded area, across Northwest 14th Drive and to the pool area of the Bivens property.
Police used cellphone tracking technology to eventually locate Rowell near one of the units. As Police walked him to a patrol car, Rowell said what he had done was a mistake.
“I f----- up, yeah,” he said. “I made some mistakes.”
Tobias said officers were not sure how credible Rowell’s threats were, but they wanted to ensure public safety.
Lt. Tscharna Senn, a department spokeswoman, said Rowell was a military veteran whose service left him in need of mental health counseling.
While the officers combed their way through the complex searching for him, residents — including women with young children — distanced themselves. The officers then split up, with one group searching the wooded area by Northwest 14th Drive and the remaining officers — a SWAT team member and an officer — checking condominium garages.
With guns drawn and aimed ahead, the two swung open doors as they monitored Rowell’s movements remotely.
Taking out her recycling during the manhunt, 67-year-old Beverly Giordano said she was happy police took the threat seriously, but she felt her neighbors may have been on edge after seeing heavily armed police at the normally quiet complex.
“That would be a little freaky to look out your window and see police (with guns drawn),” she said.
