Sean Rossman, Jennifer Portman, and Karl Etters

Update and write through: 4 p.m.

Tallahassee Police Officer Scott Angulo hugged residents along Caracus Court Sunday, sobbing as he stopped to talk in the driveway of a fire-gutted home.

A day earlier, a man set the home ablaze to lure first responders to the street so he could gun them down in an ambush that killed Leon County Deputy Christopher L. Smith.

Angulo shot and killed the gunman, 53-year-old Curtis Wade Holley, after a 12-minute mid-morning gun battle in the middle of the street in the northwest Tallahassee Plantation Woods neighborhood.

Other law enforcement veterans choked back tears at an emotional Sunday news conference at the Leon County Sheriff's Office, where the identity of the fallen deputy, the gunman and details of the firefight were revealed.

"These first responders performed their duty bravely, with courage and with honor," said LCSO spokesman Lt. James McQuaig, surrounded by more than 20 officials from a dozen agencies that helped work the scene. "They are the reason that this casualty count is not higher than what it is."

LCSO Deputies Smith and Colin Wulfekuhl arrived first at the scene of the fire simultaneously in separate vehicles at 10:22 a.m. Smith, a 47-year-old married father of two, was shot and killed immediately by Holley, who was armed with a .40 caliber handgun.

"We have information that we have received that this person was anti-government, was anti-establishment and had discussed at some point in time planning to harm law enforcement," McQuaig said.

McQuaig said Holley planned his attack to kill as many first responders as possible. After setting fire to the home he had been living in for about a year, he waited for it to become engulfed before going to his next door neighbor's house and asking her to call 911.

"It was a 100 percent ambush," he said. "This guy had a plan and he put this plan into action."

Four minutes after the attack began, TPD's Angulo and fellow Officer Mark Lewis arrived on the scene. Lewis, who tried to help Smith, was immediately fired upon.

Wulfekuhl kept the gunman engaged while warning firefighters who arrived to stay back and evacuate. Multiple engines were called to the scene of the fire.

"It is extremely important to recognize that Colin Wulfekuhl probably save the life of every firefighter that was there initially responding," McQuaig said.

Once the firefighters were out of harm's way, Wulfekuhl turned to leave to take cover himself and was shot by Holley in the center of his back, but the bullet was stopped by his vest.

Holley began moving north up the street continuing to shoot, until he was shot and killed by Angulo 12 minutes after the planned killing-spree began.

"Our responders yesterday were targeted for no other reason than that they chose to spend their lives helping people," said TPD Chief Michael DeLeo. "There is no doubt that the actions of our deputies and officers prevented additional loss of life."

Joseph Small, who lives two doors down from the house with his wife and 18-month-old, watched the terrifying scene unfold through his front window.

Small said as the family was readying to leave for the day, he smelled smoke. When his wife looked outside to investigate it, the gunfire started.

"It was all very chaotic," Small said. "Once I heard the shots, my reaction was to get my wife and 18-month-old son to a safe place."

Small sent them into the bathroom while gunshots rang out through the neighborhood.

He said he saw Smith's body near his yard, watched Holley take the deputy's firearm and then begin to rummage through his patrol car through an open window.

"He (Holley) was right there," Small said pointing to his front yard. "It all happened right out here."

Small, who moved into the neighborhood over the summer, didn't know much about Holley.

"The guy ... he just kind of pretty much kept to himself," Small said. "I never really saw him."

Update: Noon

A man known to law enforcement for his anti-government views, set a house fire and waited for first responders to arrive with the intend of killing as many of them as he could.

Curtis Wade Holley, 53, engaged law enforcement in a 12-minute mid-morning gun battle in the middle of Caracas Court before he was finally killed by a Tallahassee police officer.

Leon County Sheriff's Office deputies Christopher L Smith and Colin Wulfekuhl arrived first at the scene of the fire in the northwest Tallahassee neighborhood.

Smith, a 47-year-old married father of two, was shot and killed immediately. Wulfekuhl was also shot, but was saved by his bullet-proof vest.

Details of what occurred Saturday morning were released at an emotional news conference at LCSO headquarters. Fighting backs tears, Lt. James McQuaig, LCSO spokesman, delivered the information to reporters.

McQuaig said Smith was "a loving Christian man who loved his wife and his children most of all."

Holley was armed with a .40 caliber handgun. McQuaig said there is evidence that Holley planned the attack and fire to kill as many first responders as possible.

"We have information that we have received that this person was anti-government, was anti-establishment and had discussed at some point in time planning to harm law enforcement," McQuaig said.

McQuaig said Smith and Wulfekuhl were called to a home at 3722 Caracus Court at 10:15 a.m. A neighbor reported the fire next door to her home. The deputies arrived simultaneously in separate vehicles.

"Almost immediately, the deputies are under attack from an armed suspect," McQuaig said.

At 10:24 a.m., the words "officer down" were heard for the first time. By this time Smith had been shot multiple times. A minute later deputies said they were actively engaged in a gun battle.

A minute later, Tallahassee Police Department officers Mark Lewis and Scott Angulo arrive on the scene. Lewis tried to help Smith and was immediately fired upon.

At 10:32 a.m., Holley began shooting at members of the Tallahassee Fire Department. Wulfekuhl kept Holley engaged exchanging gunfire and told firefighters to evacuate.

Two minutes later, at 10:34 a.m., Holley was shot down by Angulo.

Officials said Holley acted alone and no one was found in the burned-down house.

The case is under investigation. It will be presented to a Leon County grand jury at the end of the investigation, said Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell.

Original Update:

The Leon County Sheriff's Office will give an update at noon today on the shooting ambush that left one deputy dead Saturday morning.

We will have more information as soon as we receive information.

Leon County deputies shot in ambush