A Utah real estate agent was touring a home with a buyer when she opened the door to a bedroom and found a man with a rifle inside.
The agent, whose name is being kept private by the police, had been showing a home in Draper, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Finding the door to one of the bedrooms on the lower level locked, she opened it to go in only to find a man with a rifle. According to the police report released after the incident, 26-year-old Matthew Lee Hirschi pointed it at the agent and the client and told them to get off the property.
“[The agent] then unlocked the door and when she opened the door there was a male subject pointing a rifle at her and one of the clients,” read the police affidavit, as reported by local press.
Police arrived at the scene and were not initially able to get inside as Hirschi would not open the door or answer the phone. As the police set up containment around the house, Hirschi called the officers back and let them come in.
“Matthew advised that he was not talking to us, however, he would come to the door,” continued the affidavit. “Matthew came to the door unarmed and opened the door.”
Hirschi was then arrested on two counts of aggravated assault and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail pending an investigation. The affidavit does not specify how he entered the home, whether he owned it or how the police were able to reach him while the agent was inside.
While open houses often generate news for agent attacks and other dangerous incidents, even private showings can be a source of danger. Some safety experts advise agents to screen homes ahead of time and have an alarm within easy activation on their phone when showing alone.
