Tucson Police identify shooter in morning standoff

CREATED Sep. 22, 2012

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  • Photo of Henry Congress who shot a man before barricading himself in an apartment among two kids and two woman during an early morning standoff against Tucson police and a full SWAT team Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012.

Web Producer: Taylor Avey
Reporter: Cory Marshall
 
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The shooter at the center of this morning's standoff near northwest Tucson has been identified.
 
Thirty-two-year-old Henry Congress has been arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault following this morning's hostage negotiation near Miracle Mile and Oracle Road. 
 
He also faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, among other charges.
 
Police received a 9-1-1 call from two men who were sitting in a vehicle around 4:00 a.m. Saturday, according to Sgt. Maria Hawke with the Tucson Police Department.
 
Hawke tells KGUN9 that the caller said he had been shot from a bullet that entered the back of his vehicle. Police got on scene quickly and transported the victim to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 
 
During the initial investigation, officers spoke with multiple eye witnesses and learned that the shooter is known for being in the area of Miracle Mile and Oracle Road regularly. However, police believe the shooter did not know the victim, according to Hawke.
 
Upon locating and attempting to approach the suspect, the suspect ran into an apartment complex on Miracle Mile. 
 
Police believe the suspect was armed with multiple weapons. They also believed the suspect was barricaded in an apartment with several people he knew, Hawke said.   
 
A full SWAT team was called out to assist with the hostage situation. 
 
Just before 11:00 a.m., the shooter came out of the apartment unit and was taken into custody without incident, according to Hawke.  
 
Congress was recently released from Prison in May 2012. He served four years for aggravated DUI, in addition to other charges. KGUN9 has learned that while in prison he was disciplined for a laundry list of both major and minor infractions, according to the Department of Corrections prisononer database.