Man in custody after pointing gun at child in Waxahachie ER, police say

An Austin man walked into a Waxahachie hospital Saturday night with a gun aimed at his young child but eventually surrendered to authorities, according to police and media reports.

Lorenzo Zarate, 32, walked into Baylor Scott & White Medical Center’s emergency room around 6:23 p.m. and told people to leave, a witness told NBC5.

He handed the child over to staff members and said there was another in his vehicle.

After police arrived, a standoff with the gunman followed, and the hospital was on lockdown.

A negotiator talked the man into surrendering around 7:40 p.m. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, making a terroristic threat and attempting to take a gun from an officer.

According to online records, Zarate was booked at 11:59 p.m. Saturday night.

A spokesperson for the city told WFAA that Zarate was driving north from Austin when he stopped at the center, but it’s still unclear why.

Both children are unharmed and are in police custody, according to NBC5.

The Waxahachie police wrote on its Facebook page after the incident: “Situation has been resolved without injury. You will continue to see the presence of law enforcement in the area as the investigation continues. Baylor Waxahachie will resume operation.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2016 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Man in custody after pointing gun at child in Waxahachie ER, police say."