A man was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Saturday after a barricade situation prompted deputies to evacuate a woman and children from a St. Lucie County home, according to the sheriff’s office.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded around 10:17 a.m. to a reported domestic violence incident in the 7600 block of Winter Garden Boulevard.
Deputies initially encountered a man in the front yard who went back inside after seeing law enforcement.
Authorities later made contact with a man and woman at the front door. During that interaction, a deputy saw what appeared to be a firearm in the man’s possession and ordered him to drop it, the sheriff’s office said.
Instead, the man closed the door and retreated inside, creating a barricaded-subject situation while other people remained in the home.
According to investigators, the man came outside several times and said he would surrender after making a phone call, but repeatedly went back inside.
During his final retreat into the home, deputies heard what appeared to be a gunshot.
Knowing an adult woman and children were still inside and could be in danger, deputies entered the residence and evacuated them through a side window, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies later found the man dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the community.
Detectives, crime scene technicians and investigators from the Medical Examiner’s Office are expected to remain at the scene for several hours as the investigation continues.