'Very Tragic Situation': Andover Standoff Ends With Man Fatally Shooting Himself
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An investigation is underway after a standoff situation in Andover ended with a man killing himself, according to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office.
At 6:28 a.m. Wednesday, a passerby reported a house fire on the 300 block of Andover Boulevard Northwest. When responders arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames.
While fire crews attempted to extinguish the fire, deputies encountered a man armed with a gun, barricaded in a horse trailer. The trailer had sleeping quarters and was located alongside a pole building in the back of the property.
The sheriff's office says the man was making active threats to the safety of deputies at the scene.
"Due to this individual's actions, the fire departments were pulled back and were no longer able to extinguish the fire resulting in the home burning down to the foundation. For the safety of fire personnel and neighbors, leaving was not an option for law enforcement," the sheriff's office said.
Deputies' attempts to negotiate with the man were unsuccessful, as were later negotiation attempts from a SWAT team. Shortly before 10 a.m., a single gunshot was heard inside the trailer and the man was located deceased inside.
"This incident remains under investigation by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office and the Anoka County Sheriff's Office. The Anoka County Fire Investigation Team has also been called in to investigate the cause of the fire. This is a very tragic situation and certainly not the outcome we had hoped for," the sheriff's office said.
Authorities say there is no ongoing threat to public safety and no other people are being sought in the incident.
For those suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, there is help available at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Call 1-800-273-8255. Also available is the hotline from the National Alliance on Mental Illness at 651-645-2948.