CROSSVILLE (WHITE CO.) —A police roadblock and word of an armed gunman worried folks passing through the village of Crossville earlier today, but all is well at this point with no one injured and one man transported to a local hospital.
White County Sheriff Doug Maier has told the public that Luke Burnett, 29, had been having family problems and had been “distraught” last night and resultant of that, he got a rifle and shot up his house, demolishing a TV set and landing several shots around the living room.
With the event being considered an “armed stand-off,” a regional SWAT team was called in and took up position this morning (01.11.13) around the house at 1009 West Main Street in Crossville, evacuating homes around the location as well, after local authorities had set up a perimeter at about 9 a.m. The situation did not escalate, and ultimately, at about 2:15 this afternoon, authorities entered and found Burnett asleep in a bedroom. He was taken into custody and transported to Hamilton Memorial Hospital in McLeansboro for a mental evaluation.
Burnett is the son of White County Treasurer Denise Burnett, and is an Army veteran who is also a veteran of the Iraq War.
Maier has stated that there will likely be no charges filed in the incident.
Reports that there was something involving a gunman at the school in Grayville were circulating in the area, likely in reaction to all the recent school/shooting activity in the media, but these were quickly put to rest by concerned parents calling the school and confirming that all was well there.