Police say a man shot and killed his wife then launched a SWAT standoff before turning the gun on himself.

Police officers were called to the home of 66-year-old Henry Yip on the 300 block of E. Washington Avenue in Magnolia, N.J. around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Police say they received a call from Yip's relative telling them to check on the welfare of him and his wife, 54-year-old Vicki Yip. The relative told police he had received an alarming phone call from Henry earlier that evening.

A responding police officer says he saw a person inside the home and then heard the sound of a gunshot. At the same time, investigators say Camden County 911 received a call from a resident at the home claiming he had killed his wife and was going to kill himself.

A SWAT team was called in for backup. Neighbors in the immediate area were told to stay inside as police tried to communicate with Yip.

"They were like, 'Get in the house and don't come out,'" said Shawn Houlihan who witnessed the SWAT team and officers surround the home. "They made everybody get inside and then for about 40 minutes or so, we were inside and we could hear the megaphone saying, 'Come out of the house with your hands up.' Then I guess they tried to call and they said, 'we just want to talk to you, answer the phone.'"

Officers eventually sent a robot with a camera into the home and a SWAT team followed. Once they were inside they found Yip and his wife Vicki Yip, 54, dead from gunshot wounds.

Shortly before midnight, officials told NBC10 that Yip had shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself.

A source tells NBC10.com that Yip was a former Camden County firefighter. Officials have not yet confirmed this however.