Armed man in custody following barricade inside Silver Spring apartment; shelter in place lifted

A man is in custody after police say he barricaded himself inside a Silver Spring apartment early Tuesday morning after they were called to the area for reports of shots fired.

Police responded to a high-rise apartment building in the 14000 block of Castle Boulevard around 2:25 a.m. after residents reported the sound of multiple gunshots.

Officers say when they arrived they saw a man, identified by police as 32-year-old Christian Johnson, with a gun and secured the area. Police say some residents were cleared from the area and others were asked to shelter in place. Officers entered negotiations with the gunman that went on for about four hours.

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Investigators say they believe other occupants were inside the apartment but were unsure if they were there willingly or if they were considered hostages.

"They are concerned about the welfare of the other people inside the apartment so that's why they are trying to keep this as peaceful as possible and to maintain open communication with this individual," said Montgomery County Department of Police spokesperson Shiera Goff before the situation was resolved.

Goff said Johnson may have been firing shots off of the apartment balcony but were not clear what type of weapon he was armed with.

Johnson was taken into custody around 9:30 a.m. Police say his 4-year-old son was in the apartment with him and was reunited with his mother. No injuries were reported.