BELFAIR, Washington -- Five people are dead after a shooting and hourslong standoff near Belfair, Wash., according to Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury.
The suspect “apparently came outside the home and shot himself,” Salisbury said. “It’s a terrible tragedy.”
Mason County Sheriff Deputy Chief Ryan Spurling said the man called 911 Friday morning and said he shot two children, a woman and another person, but none of that information has been confirmed.
Police surrounded the home, but didn’t immediately enter because the man was armed with a handgun, Spurling said. A Washington State Patrol plane mounted with a camera circled above the home for much of the afternoon, giving police a bird’s-eye view during the standoff.
A SWAT team entered the man’s home and found four people dead.
Jack Pigott, who lives near the residence where police responded, said he heard gunshots about 8:15 p.m. Thursday. He thought the gunfire was from target shooting, he said.
“The gunshots I figured, was target practice. I never thought more about it,” Pigott said.
On Friday morning, Pigott received calls from concerned neighbors.
“I’m looking at the TV and there’s a picture of my road. I said, ‘My god, that’s my driveway.’ There’s SWAT cars … halfway down the road,” he said.
Copyright 2016 The Seattle Times
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