Suspect dead after hours-long SWAT standoff in Tarzana

A shooting suspect is dead after an hours-long SWAT standoff in Tarzana Saturday.

Police responded to reports of a man firing shots near Victory Boulevard and Sylvia Avenue at around 2 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The armed suspect later barricaded himself inside a home on the 19200 block of Victory Boulevard, prompting police to evacuate nearby residents in the area.

SWAT Team members and police created a perimeter around the house as the man remained barricaded inside. 

Negotiators spoke with the suspect on the phone, attempting to convince him to come outside.  However, after several conversations, police said the man hung up the phone and refused to cooperate.

At one point, the suspect’s partner reportedly called police to tell them he was armed with a gun and had fired shots inside their home.

After around five hours barricaded inside, SWAT members forcefully entered the house and found the suspect dead inside.

Neighbors in the area were concerned as they watched the situation unfold amid a large police presence in the area.

“It’s very scary,” said Laurence Brown, a Tarzana resident. “It was hard to evacuate the area because they established such a large perimeter. A lot of spectators want to know what is going on. They’re concerned about the events that have transpired.”

The circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death were not released. His identity and official cause of death will be determined by the coroner’s office.

The fatal incident remains under investigation.