x
Breaking News
More () »

Man who triggered SWAT situation threatened to kill girlfriend, shoot up a Walmart: Officials

Timothy James O'Neil is now in custody.

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A wanted man is in custody after a massive standoff shut down a busy interstate for hours. 

But before that, authorities said that suspect, Timothy James O'Neil,threatened his girlfriend's life, hundreds of miles away in Nebraska. 

U.S. Marshals said O'Neil and his girlfriend were involved in some sort of argument there before he got in his car and drove to the Atlanta area where he allegedly said he was "taking his gun to shoot up a Walmart." Authorities aren't sure which store he was referring to.

RELATED: Gunman wanted for terroristic threats in custody after SWAT takedown at home near I-75

Marshals got wind that his journey took him to his sister's Bimini Road home in Forest Park, just off I-75, so they followed him to try and serve a warrant for his arrest for allegedly making terroristic threats.

Instead, O'Neil ended up in a standoff with officers for hours after firing off 10 rounds at Marshals. No one was hit. 

The SWAT standoff with O'Neil lasted from nearly noon until 3 p.m., when a robot entered the home around 2:42 p.m. Roughly 10 minutes later, O'Neil walked out of the home, and officers took him into custody. Police said at no time were there any hostages.

RELATED: Intense video shows SWAT takedown of man who fired shots at officers

Credit: Clayton County Police
Timothy O'Neil

The standoff brought traffic on I-75 to a standstill as officers worked to get O'Neil out of the home. It also forced nearby schools adjust their dismissal plans out of an abundance of caution.

MORE NEWS

Invasive species confirmed: Northern snakehead seen in Georgia

State drops charges against 'Chrisley Knows Best' stars after settlement

Before You Leave, Check This Out