HARLINGEN – Tense moments for some Harlingen residents Thursday after a man opened fire just steps from their homes.

The day began with routine maintenance work at the apartments on the 300 block of Eye Street in Harlingen, but things took a dramatic turn in a matter of minutes.

"I heard the gunshots. But I didn't think that it was coming from next door because that's never happened," said a female resident.

She didn't want to give her real name for fear of retaliation. For this report, we’ll refer to her as “Maria”.

Maria said she heard several gunshots fired. Shortly after, the handyman that had been working at her apartment came running back for his life.

She said he had injuries to his face and arms as if he had been attacked.

"He said the neighbor told him that he could kill him and accuse him of stealing because he was inside his apartment," she said. 

The apartments are down the road from the Harlingen Police Department. Maria said officers arrived within minutes to detain the alleged shooter.

"One of the male subjects allegedly fired some rounds from a weapon. He was taken into custody and is pending charges at this time," Police Spokesman Larry Moore said. "Nobody was struck (by a bullet)."

The man moved into the apartments about two weeks ago, Maria said. She said now that this incident happened, he needs to go.

She said she doesn't feel safe, especially with her four children in the home.

"I talked to the owner and told him if he doesn't ask them to leave then we'll have to leave. Because we've been here five years and I could leave my house with peace of mind, and I can't do that anymore," Maria said.

Moore said the suspect is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police are investigating if his weapon was lawfully in his possession.

Maria said she's hoping the landlord will act quickly to restore her family's security and peace of mind.