DOUGLAS COUNTY — Two people died after an incident that began Thursday night at a residence south of Eudora and involved a standoff with law enforcement for several hours.
According to preliminary information, the 52-year-old male suspect shot and killed a 44-year-old woman at the residence in the 900 block of E 2300 Road, according to sheriff's department spokesman George Diepenbrock.
The incident involved two people in a domestic relationship, and law enforcement later found the man dead inside the residence.
Just before 9p.m. Thursday, Sheriff's office dispatchers were called about a woman in distress. Dispatchers reported the woman caller was difficult to hear.
A Eudora Police Department officer responded initially and heard a gunshot when he reached the front door. Law enforcement officers were able to establish phone contact with the man inside who was overtly hostile and threatening to shoot law enforcement officers, as he barricaded himself into the home.
The Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Lawrence Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol utilized drones and other technology to gain access into the residence.
The tools did allow officers to determine the woman was deceased. After several hours of phone communication, law enforcement lost contact with the suspect, and they continued to use technological tools to try to re-establish contact with him or identify his status inside the house to take him into custody on an arrest warrant.
Sheriff Armbrister said as part of the investigation there were concerns about a possible threat of explosives inside the residence, which was part of the reason why officers acted methodically over several hours
.Just before 4:30 p.m. Friday the Kansas Highway Patrol made entry into the residence and found the suspect deceased.
Detectives and investigators processed the scene Friday evening. Names of the suspect and victim have not been released.