SAN ANTONIO – An assault at a Southeast Side apartment complex ultimately resulted in a man being shot accidentally while he slept inside his own home, San Antonio police said Tuesday.
The incident occurred just before 12:30 a.m. at The Landings at Brooks City Base apartments in the 7800 block of South New Braunfels Avenue, not far from Southeast Miltary Drive.
According to police, officers responded to a call about a disturbance with a knife. Police said a man fled from officers before entering the balcony of an apartment.
Officer Doug Greene, a spokesperson with SAPD, said the resident was confronted by the man with a knife and that he went and retrieved his firearm.
"The individual entered the balcony of another apartment complex resident there and confronted the individual. That person retrieved their firearm and when they returned, the individual yeilding the knife had left," Greene said. "In the process of them putting their firearm up, the individual accidentally discharged their weapon."
A man in his early 20s was sleeping next door when the neighbor accidentally discharged his rifle, and the bullet went through the wall of the apartment directly into the victim's knee, police said.
The suspect in the original assault, Mark Guevara, 44, was eventually caught and taken into custody by police. He will be facing aggravated assault charges after cutting someone on their hand and pushing someone down the stairs.
The man who was shot was taken to University Hospital for his injuries and is expected to recover.
Greene said there could be possible assault charges for the man handling the gun depending on how reckless he was while handling the weapon.
He added that when handling weapons, one must be careful when taking ammo out and clearing the ammo and making sure that the weapon is secure.