A suspect who had barricaded himself on Tuesday in his Panama City, Florida, home after an earlier shooting was later found dead in the residence, authorities said.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office identified the dead suspect as 49-year-old Kevin Robert Holroyd.
One person had a minor injury and was transported to a hospital, city spokeswoman Caitlin Lawrence said earlier Tuesday.
The hunt for Holroyd, who was wanted in connection with a homicide in Santa Rosa Beach in Walton County, ended with his death about 57 miles southeast in Bay County, after he opened fire on police, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities did not say how Holroyd died.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Panama City police began searching for Holroyd in case he returned to Bay County. Investigators started watching Holroyd’s townhome apartment after his vehicle was seen there. During that time, a complex resident called the fire department to report a gas smell, the sheriff’s office said.
The investigators got out of their cars to find out why firefighters had arrived in the complex parking lot, authorities said.
From an upstairs window of the apartment, Holroyd opened fire on the firefighters and investigators, and other responding officers, including Panama City police, the sheriff’s office said.
About 100 rounds were fired during the gunbattle, the sheriff’s office said.
At one point, two Panama City officers and a sheriff’s deputy were pinned down behind their vehicles by the gunfire, the sheriff’s office said.
Photos from Eryn Dion of the Panama City News Herald showed a heavy police presence in the area during the standoff.
Stacie Houchins said she did not see the incident start, but she decided to go to the scene to see what was going on. She shared photos with CNN of police with weapons drawn.
When she arrived on the scene, she said she heard multiple loud gunshots. She said the gunshots seemed like rapid fire.
SWAT officers eventually entered the townhome through an upstairs window, and officers found Holroyd’s body clad in body armor. The inside of the home had been saturated with gasoline, authorities said.
Authorities found several hundred rounds of ammunition, several high-powered rifles and flares, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities believe Holroyd had planned to use the flares to ignite the gasoline.
No other details on the homicide in Santa Rosa Beach were immediately available.
