In a mental health episode, a man living in the Four Seasons hotel throws furniture from a balcony, before pulling out weapons, turning the debacle into an active shooter situation. In numerous videos, the man is seen shouting and shooting from the 33rd floor in a stand-off with police.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The 70-year-old man, Jay Steven Berger, was witnessed throwing furniture from his balcony in the luxury hotel. As police responded to the scene, people began to film the drama unfolding. As Berger noticed the cameras, he pulled out weapons, becoming an active shooter in the Four Seasons.
The filming quickly stopped as the bullets started flying. Police report that the mentally unwell man had a pistol, rifle, and shotgun in his possession. The rifle was thrown from the window, also joining the piles of broken furniture on the ground below.
Staff and people in neighboring rooms were told to cover in place. While bullets ricocheted around opposite buildings, they waited for the Four Seasons shooter to be subdued. As a result, many residents were evacuated from their rooms and houses.
A Measured Response to The Four Seasons Shooter
The police quickly responded to the clearly distressed and unwell man. Wearing a Halloween mask, Jay Steven Berger was a difficult man to communicate with. According to reports, he was shooting through the walls and doors of his Four Seasons room.
During the negotiations and resulting firefight, one officer was hit, although his injuries are not expected to be life-threatening. An hours-long standoff between swat teams and the Four Seasons shooter entailed, finally coming to an end at 4.35 PM. The Four Seasons hotel was shut for the day, in lockdown until the crime scene has been cleared up.
In a statement to the press, an officer on scene said "This was originally classed as a mental health emergency at the Four Seasons... The officers learned that the individual may have a handgun... Officers attempted to get the individual to come to the door to speak with them, but he refused to do so, so officers began negotiating with the individual, asking him to come out peacefully... we got the information he may have access to other weapons, so the Swat team was deployed in the area." After negotiations went south, the individual opened fire.
Jay Steven Berger is wheeled out of the hotel, bloodied but alive and subdued. Hopefully, his mental health episode will be treated, and due care and attention given. Ultimately, the quick and measured response of the police ensured that nobody else was hurt by the Four Seasons shooter, and the situation taken under control.
