DETROIT _ A barricaded gunman has fatally shot himself, ending a several-hour standoff that left three women dead and injured three police officers.
The gunman's death was discovered via a video surveillance robot that Michigan State Police _ who relieved Detroit police of their duties several hours into the active scene _ sent into a second-floor window.
"The third robot was able to go into the top window and that's when we discovered the individual was deceased," 1st Lt. Michael Shaw, an MSP spokesman, told reporters at the scene Monday.
When police finally entered the house, they discovered that a female hostage had also been killed. Two other women were killed earlier in the night by the 49-year-old shooter.
At 10:27 p.m. Sunday, Detroit police got a call of shots fired on the 1900 block of Lamont Street. The call was placed by an off-duty Detroit Public Schools police officer who happened to live in the neighborhood. He and Detroit police from the 11th precinct arrived at the scene seven minutes later, at which point, Craig said, the officers were "pinned down" by gunfire.
A Detroit officer and the Detroit Public Schools officer each were shot in the leg. Sometime later, during a second round of shooting, another Detroit officer was shot.
The school officer was released from the hospital Monday, and the Detroit officers are expected to be released by Tuesday at the latest.
One of the women who was shot is believed to be related to a woman whom the suspect was dating. It is unclear if the third victim was this girlfriend.
At one point, police thought there were two shooters. However, police discarded that theory after arresting a neighbor whom they believed to be the second shooter.
Police deployed several rounds of chemical agents into the house an attempt to coax the suspect out of the home during the multi-hour standoff.
The last time officers communicated with the suspect was around 2 a.m. At one point, he was heard saying he "wouldn't go down without a fight."
"He clearly expressed an intention to do harm; he clearly expressed intention to hurt police officers," said Police Chief James Craig.
The suspect had no criminal history and had no contact with police. He was a valid CPL holder and had at least seven guns registered to him.
Family and friends of the suspect have said he suffered from mental illness. Craig, however, said that information had not been confirmed.
What started the shooting is unclear, according to Craig. Initial reports indicated that it began over a fight between the suspect and one of the female victims.
The shooting comes just over a week after the Detroit Police Department mourned the loss of Officer Glenn Doss Jr., who was shot by a barricaded gunman while responding to a domestic violence call on Jan. 24.
The suspect, in that case, Decharlos O. Brooks, has been charged with eight counts of assault with intent to murder, seven counts of resisting and obstructing, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon and 17 counts of felony firearm, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Officer.
At the time, Craig blamed Doss' slaying on police work being dangerous but also society's failure to treat many of those with mental illness.
"When are we going to realize? We need to do more," Craig said at a press conference following that shooting.
In recent years, Craig continued, "the number of these barricaded suspects has roughly doubled ... and more often than not, these individuals are mentally ill _ the jail is not the place to treat them."
"This is not a Detroit thing," he said. "This is national. When will it end?"
