A man was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a barricade incident Monday at a residence on Winter Garden Boulevard in St. Lucie County, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a reported domestic violence incident at about 10:17 a.m. in the 7600 block of Winter Garden Boulevard, the sheriff’s office said in an update.
Upon arrival, deputies encountered a man in the front yard who retreated into the residence after seeing law enforcement. Deputies later made contact with a man and woman at the front door.
During that interaction, a deputy observed what appeared to be a firearm in the man’s possession and ordered him to drop the weapon, according to the sheriff’s office. The man instead closed the door and retreated inside, creating a barricaded-subject situation with other occupants still in the residence.
The man exited the residence several times and indicated he would surrender after making a telephone call, but repeatedly went back inside, the sheriff’s office said.
During his final retreat into the residence, deputies heard what appeared to be a gunshot.
Because an adult woman and children remained inside and could have been in immediate danger, deputies entered the residence without being detected and evacuated the occupants through a side window, according to the sheriff’s office.
During the subsequent investigation, deputies discovered the man dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The sheriff’s office said there was no ongoing threat to the community.
Detectives with the agency’s Criminal Investigations Division, crime scene technicians and investigators from the Medical Examiner’s Office were expected to remain at the scene for several hours to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The sheriff’s office said it extended its condolences to the deceased man’s family and friends.