The accused gunman who came dangerously close to Occupy Houston protesters has been identified as Joshua Anthony Twohig. Neighbors describe him as a quiet man who's been dealing with a lot of personal stress.
Occupy Houston protester J.J. Freeman recalled, "The gunman was firing in the air, he was firing at my feet, and I knew that this was not a joke."
Freeman is describing the tense moments as he came face-to-face with the gunman who stormed Tranquility Park Monday night. Police have now identified the shooter as 21-year-old Joshua Anthony Twohig.
"He was carrying an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon," Freeman said. "He already emptied a clip and inserted another and I was probably, at farthest from him, about four feet."
Eyewitness News has learned Twohig is a young father who lives in an apartment complex on the north side with his wife and one-year-old child. Neighbor Vastie Driskoll says she saw the man leaving his home Monday.
She recalled, "I saw him yesterday. When he left, he was dressed up, but I thought he went on a job interview or something."
Driskoll says she was shocked hearing her neighbor of six months was arrested for firing a rifle near the Occupy Houston protester's camp. However she says the young father has been dealing with a lot of personal stresses lately.
"He lost his job, and his wife had an operation, so that's a lot of stress," Driskoll said.
A couple of police officers ended up shooting and injuring Twohig. He's in stable condition at the hospital and charged with aggravated assault on a public servant.
I spoke with Twohig's family. They did not want to comment about this ongoing investigation.
