A 23-year-old man has been arrested following an hours-long standoff in Gastonia, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
Incident Details
Police responded around 9:20 a.m. to a shots-fired call at 211 Pryor Road. Officers said Khalif Bigelow, experiencing a mental health crisis, fired shots at a house across the street. The Home School Resource and Agile Learning Center were placed on lockdown.
Police Response
Several agencies, including the Gastonia Regional SWAT Team and negotiators, responded after Bigelow refused to leave his home. At 12:30 p.m., officers deployed an explosive breaching device and non-lethal tear gas. Bigelow and his 39-year-old mother surrendered peacefully. The mother was not considered a hostage and was not charged.
Charges
Bigelow faces multiple charges, including:
- Possession of a firearm by a felon
- Discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling
- Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
Community Impact
Residents reported hearing about 50 shots. Students and staff at the nearby Gastonia Freedom School, a home-school environment for students with special needs, hid and crawled to safety. One 10-year-old student, Nathan Bentley, helped keep everyone calm. All students were safely picked up by parents.
Background
Bigelow had just been released from prison earlier this month after a previous standoff at the same house. In 2023, he also barricaded himself inside after firing shots at another man.
Outcome
After three hours, Bigelow surrendered without incident. Police reported no injuries during the standoff, and further details have not been released.
