WALTON, Ky. — The chaos of Thursday night's shooting scene in Walton quickly turned to quiet by Friday morning, as neighbors at Towne Creek Crossing continued to process what happened.
Sheriff's deputies were serving a felony warrant regarding overdue child support to 39-year-old Justin Chapman around 10 p.m. on Aug. 28 when a Boone County Sheriff's spokesperson said they were met with "heavy gunfire."
According to the spokesperson on Friday, the two deputies who were shot continue to improve with one discharged from the hospital.
"They're very brave for what they do. They put their lives on the line every single day," said Josh Steele, a neighbor and witness. "My heart goes out to their families. I'm hoping and praying for a speedy recovery. Those guys are awesome in my book."
WATCH: Witnesses describe the scene and suspect connected to Thursday night's shooting at a Walton apartment complex
Steele said the first indication he had that something was wrong came with the sound of gunshots, which he described as sounding like "someone was banging against metal."
"I wanted to confirm; I came outside. There's three or four sheriff's officers out here," he said. "Next thing I know, (deputies) are carrying one of the officers into the back of a cruiser, and he gets on his radio: 'Officer's been hit!' And I couldn't believe it. I stood there in shock."
Steele, who lives in the complex with his wife and young daughter, said he had had few encounters with the suspect, Chapman.
"He was a very quiet guy in the neighborhood. I never really had interactions with him — only maybe once or twice," he said. "He didn't say nothing. Kept his head down and went on about his business."
According to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, Chapman remained barricaded inside his apartment Thursday night as multiple SWAT and law enforcement agencies worked to get him out. Eventually, he was discovered unresponsive in a second-floor bedroom. SWAT team members determined he was dead from "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Chapman's next-door neighbor, Jessica, declined to give us her last name but said the 39-year-old was a veteran and appeared to struggle with his mental health at times.
"I have a 1-year-old, so to think like, what if he got angry or something, and it drew out longer, and the bullet ricocheted and went through the wall? My kid's right at that wall, sleeping on the same side," she said. "I didn't really interact with him that much, just because, like, I didn't want to set any triggers off."
Chapman was described in various court records as a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and was undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
At the scene on Friday, we saw law enforcement carrying bags of, presumably, evidence out of the apartment, including a large metal safe. A criminal investigation is ongoing, per the Boone County Sheriff's Office.
