14-Hour Police Standoff In Detroit Leaves 3 Women And Gunman Dead

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Police Standoff In Detroit Leaves 3 Women And Gunman Dead

Following a 14-hour standoff with police in Detroit, three women and the gunman were left dead, according to reports from Detroit News. In addition to the fatalities, three more police officers are said to have non-life-threatening injuries from the incident, which started on Sunday night at around 10 pm, following two women being fatally shot during an argument.

That following Monday, police used a robot to enter the home of the gunman, Lance Smith, in order to confirm that he was dead; Smith is reported to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is believed to have murdered a woman who is thought to be his girlfriend, who was found dead inside the home. Detroit’s Deputy Police Chief Elvin Barren says the other two women that were killed were related to Smith’s girlfriend. According to Barren, the women showed up to help out during a domestic dispute, but unfortunately ended up being victims themselves and were pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.

Responding officers were caught in active gunfire upon their arrival. Initially, they did not return fire, as it was unclear where the shots were coming from. Smith is said to have suffered from mental illness and does not have a criminal history, but had seven guns registered under his name.