Roommates: Man accused in police-shooting fired shots in his home before shooting cop

The roommates of a man accused of shooting an off-duty detective said he shot up his house before the encounter with that detective.

Two of Kevin Rojas’ roommates said they heard him fighting with his girlfriend, then they heard gun shots. They also said the 19-year-old had talked about suicide by cop in the past.

Cellphone video shows first responders wheeling Rojas away from his home and into an ambulance after the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said he refused to put down a gun and deputies fired, wounding him.

Rojas’ roommates shared with Action News Jax exclusive pictures of a broken glass door they say was shattered by the bullets that wounded the teen accused of shooting the detective.

“Nobody expected this out of Kevin,” Cole Jackson, one of Rojas' roommates, said.

Jackson and fellow roommate Brian Buckner also shared pictures they say are of bullet holes Rojas left after a violent fight with his girlfriend Wednesday morning.

“I hear ‘boom boom boom boom boom,’” Buckner said.

“I don’t what the heck got into him today,” Jackson said.

Jackson said Rojas had been acting detached recently, even talking about killing cops.

“He would always talk like, ‘I I got pulled over, I would shoot the cop and then I’m coming back to kill you,’” Jackson said.

Jackson said that’s why he had his girlfriend legally buy a pistol for protection and hid it from Rojas before he allegedly stole it and shot and wounded the detective inside the car.

“We had hid it and thought it was a good place, I guess,” Jackson said.

Jackson said Rojas smoked marijuana, struggled with emotional issues and just broke up with his girlfriend before Wednesday’s violence.

Jackson said Rojas talked about threatening the life of his girlfriend and his own.

“And that’s what I originally think, that’s why he came back to that house today, was to complete his (expletive) mission, that was, like, his objective I guess,” Jackson said.

JSO said that gun was legally purchased. We also spoke with Rojas’ girlfriend over the phone. She was very shaken up and did not answer any of our questions.

Cox Media Group