Neighbors of Larry Steven McQulliams, the suspect who opened fire on several government buildings in Austin on Friday morning, have come forward with different perspectives on the man’s personality.
One neighbor, Katie Matlack, told the Austin American-Statesman she remembered him as “a gentle soul ” who enjoyed drum circles, riding his bike, and taking care of neighbors’ pets.
“He was a very kind person. Everyone in the building knew him,” she said. “I think he was just frustrated at every turn.”
Meanwhile another person who lived near McQuilliams told the paper he was “not surprised at all” that he turned out to be the suspect.
“When I heard the SWAT team was next door I said ‘Wow, I bet this is the bicycle guy,'” Charles Witt said.
Matlack said McQuilliams, an apparent Renaissance Fair and martial arts enthusiast, had a criminal history that prevented him from finding work beyond a position at a local car wash.
The Statesman reports that he left his home in Wichita, Kansas a year and half earlier to seek new opportunities in Austin.
Austin police have publicly speculated about McQuilliams’ possible political motive for attempting to burn down the Mexican consulate on Friday, as well as firing over a hundred rounds in his attack on a courthouse, bank and police station.
