CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An overnight shooting leaves one man dead after he opens fire at a hotel off Nile Drive, prompting officers to shoot him.
At approximately 11:13 p.m. Tuesday night, Corpus Christi Police officers responded to several calls reporting a man firing his gun from his poolside balcony at the Red Roof Inn on the 6800 block of South Padre Island Drive at Nile Drive.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the man was back in his room.
According to Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle, officers immediately secured the area and evacuated any adjacent rooms.
The SWAT team was also called out to assist in the investigation.
"When the SWAT team comes out, it's a whole different situation," Markle said. "They slow things down, they're really methodical in their approach."
Officers tried to make contact with the man, but there was no response from inside the room. As they prepared to make entry, the man came through a window.
SWAT Team members then engaged and shot the man, who later died from his injuries at a local hospital.
Markle described the suspected gunman as a non-local, white man in his late 20's.
The department worked with hotel staff to identify the shooter and contact a family member who gave them his cell phone number, but authorities were unable to get in touch with him before the incident unfolded.
A nearby Whataburger employee confirmed to 3NEWS that they heard "a lot of shots" before police arrived on scene. Officers told our news crew they were checking the hotel next door for any injured guests, as several shots were reportedly fired in that direction.
CCPD said the shooter emptied the magazine of his weapon.
The four SWAT Team members involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, as per protocol.
None of the officers involved were injured, and no other injuries have been reported.
Authorities will know more about what could have led to the shooting following an autopsy where they will be able to determine if drugs played a factor.
CCPD released the following statement about Tuesday night's fatal shooting and the five others that also involved officers this year:
"Officer involved shootings are a tragedy for all involved. We respect the sanctity of life and recognize there are grieving families, and the taking of life is not something any officer takes lightly. Unfortunately, situations arise in which officers are forced to make split second decisions that have a great impact on all those involved.
The Corpus Christi Police Department is committed to the well-being of all those impacted; to include community members and officers alike.
The safety of our community and its citizens is our number one priority when responding to calls for service."
Digital Content Producer Mia Valdez contributed to this story.
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