Man barricaded for nearly 24 hours in Cary apartment dies, police say
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A standoff that lasted nearly 24 hours in Cary ended when the man killed himself, police said Wednesday night.
Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said officers received a call about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night for a wellness check on a person at the request of family members and law officers negotiated with the man into Wednesday evening.
At an 8:15 p.m. update, Sult said the man took his own life.
"I wanted to express my condolences to the family of the individual who was in crisis today," Sult said. "Unfortunately, he took his own life.
"It's always a sad time when someone is in crisis and it should bring attention to mental health across this country," the chief added.
The man had barricaded himself inside the Windsor Apartments. That is on Macedonia Lake Drive at Tryon Village.
An 11-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound during what police call a hostage situation. Police said the child had injuries on the arm and the neck but described them as "minor."
Sult said later that the man barricaded inside was the child's father. His identity has not yet been released.
"It's easy to focus on the loss today, but we should focus on the 11 year old. And just be grateful that that he is still with us and can return to his family," he said.
Taylor Goss who lives nearby watched it all unfold.
"We came out at 11:30 last night. We didn't know what was going on. And then finding out there was a child that was definitely in danger was definitely really unsettling," she said sadden by what happened. " My prayers and thoughts go out to them. I know that that's definitely a very scary situation."
WATCH: Cary police chief provides update as standoff ends
"That turned into a hostage situation with a juvenile hostage and an individual in crisis, a mental health crisis," Sult said. "We worked diligently through the night with our partners (local, state and federal agencies)."
The State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were among the agencies involved in the effort.
After ongoing negotiations throughout the night, authorities were able to secure the child around 10 a.m.
As of 1 p.m., Sult said the situation had changed from hostage negotiation to crisis intervention.
The FBI actively negotiated with the suspect but the efforts "deteriorated," Sult said. The police chief added that law enforcement officers never entered the apartment before the man took his life.
Sult said he did not believe police had previously been called to the residence in the past. Neighboring apartments were evacuated, the chief added.
School bus routes were altered to an area off-site for children who live in this neighborhood,
Sult said Wednesday night that the case remains an active investigation.
