LATEST UPDATE: Standoff Ends: 3 Women Dead, 3 Officers Injured, Gunman Dead

DETROIT (WWJ) – In a complex situation, Detroit police have been on the scene of a barricaded gunman since late Sunday night.

Two women have been killed and two Detroit police officers have been shot — the first, an off-duty public school officer and husband of one of the victims, was shot and expected to recover according to authorities. The second officer shot responding to the incident, also expected to recover.

The women were neighbors police say.

“One was a neighbor and the other woman was just responding because she had a relative or family member that she was checking on,” said Williams.

The situation began Sunday evening at about 10:30 p.m. when police responded to reports of shots fired at a home on Lamont Street off Seven Mile Road between Mound and Ryan roads in northeast Detroit.

When police arrived they discovered three people had been shot.

Two women were taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

A third victim, a police officer, had a gunshot wound to the leg and is expected to recover.

When officers arrived, someone opened fire. The gunman, 49, reportedly told police he “won’t go down without a fight.” Reportedly he is dating the niece of one of the victims — police have not been able to locate that woman and have concerns for her safety.

Detroit Assistant Police Chief Arnold Williams says the gunman has a history of mental illness. He also has seven guns registered under his name as a CPL holder.

The gunman retreated to the home when police arrived and remains there — occasionally firing shots.

Police have closed the surrounding area off to traffic and are advising people in the area to stay in their homes — and if traveling to avoid the area.

Compounding the situation — a person in a neighboring home also has at least one weapon and is threatening — but not actively shooting — as of this report.

The first suspect, barricaded with seven weapons, is known to officers.

“It just so happens that this person who suffers from a mental illness has weapons,” says Williams.

He says these situations are becoming more common:

“This is one thing we always deal with this situation – these situations always revolve around someone with a mental illness that’s either untreated or something that they’re responsible for self-treating which they do not treat.

“Right now a lot of people may think that someone who suffers from mental illness may not affect them – but that’s not the case. Anybody that suffers from a mental illness, who is not being treated, can basically resort to any type of violence and that violence is not necessarily directed toward a police officer – it can be directed at anyone in the community.”

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