Buy Photo Detroit Police Chief James Craig briefs the media on the situation of the barricaded gunman on Lamont Avenue Monday. (Photo: Clarence Tabb Jr., The Detroit News)Buy Photo

Detroit — Police and neighbors don’t know why the shooting began but, once it did, it didn’t seem to end.

By the time it was over, three women were dead and three officers were injured on the city’s east side, said police. The shootings, which occurred during a 14-hour standoff that lasted from Sunday night to Monday morning, ended only when the gunman fatally shot himself.

The mystery deepened with the identity of the alleged gunman, Lance Smith, 49, of Detroit.

Neighbors said Smith could be a little strange but never showed signs of violence. They said he and his live-in girlfriend, who was one of the women killed, seemed to get along.

Police officers respond to a scene on East Outer Drive in Detroit. (Photo: David Guralnick, Detroit News)

“They seemed to be fine,” said neighbor Alexis Sandoval.

Smith had no criminal history or even contact with police, said law enforcement officials. A relative told police Smith suffered from mental illness, but authorities haven’t confirmed that, said police Chief James Craig.

Smith, who had a concealed pistol license, owned seven guns, said police.

Given Smith’s past, Craig called the rampage an anomaly.

“Here we are, talking about another tragedy on so many levels,” he said.

Police respond to a scene near East Outer Drive in Detroit, where a barricaded gunman on Lamont St. shot a Detroit police officer. (Photo: David Guralnick, Detroit News)

The names of the three women weren’t released as of Monday evening. Two women were related to the girlfriend and lived across the street in the 19400 block of Lamont, said police. They went to the girlfriend’s home during a domestic dispute and were fatally shot outside the house.

An off-duty officer with the Detroit Public Schools Police Department, who lived across the street and was married to one of the two women, also went to the girlfriend’s home and was shot in the leg, said police. Two officers with the Detroit Police Department then went to the home and also were shot in the leg.

None of the injuries to the officers were life-threatening and all three have been or are expected to be released from the hospital soon, said police.

During the shooting spree, nine officers were pinned to the ground for an hour before they were helped by the SWAT team.

“I will not be taken without a fight,” Smith told them, according to Craig.

The chief said the gunman fully intended to claim more victims.

An EMS unit leaves the scene at Lamont St. where a Detroit police officer was shot. (Photo: David Guralnick, Detroit News)

“He clearly expressed an intention to do harm,” said Craig. “He clearly expressed an intent to hurt police officers.”

In the wake of the tragedy, a Detroit city councilman asked a community health agency to extend its hours Monday to help people who needed grief counseling. Open Arms operated its hotline until 7 p.m.

As for whatever led to the shooting, Councilman Scott Benson encouraged anyone experiencing stress or mental health challenges to seek help from Open Arms or local mental health agencies.

“Our hearts are broken over today’s tragic events,” he said. “We are sending our prayers to the families of the deceased and the injured officers.”

The incident began Sunday night with an argument between Smith and his girlfriend, said police. The reason for the argument wasn’t known.

The two women then came to the home to help the woman, and were shot, said police. A neighbor reported the shooting to the off-duty school officer, who approached the home and also was shot.

Buy Photo Police respond to a barricaded gunman situation Monday, Feb. 12 2018 on Detroit's northwest side (Photo: James David Dickson / The Detroit News)

The neighbor called police at 10:27 p.m.

Detroit police responded seven minutes later and were assailed by a hail of bullets, they said. A city police officer was shot. During a second round of shooting by the gunman, another city police officer was shot.

The number of shots fired by the gunman wasn’t known. Police never returned fire because they weren’t sure where the gunman was shooting from, they said.

The Detroit police SWAT team arrived and used its armored vehicle to pull the three injured officers to safety. It also retrieved the bodies of the two women.

“There easily could have been a higher death toll today,” said Elvin Barren, Detroit deputy police chief.

Police tried to flush Smith from the home with flash-bang grenades and three deployments of tear gas, but the efforts failed, they said. They lobbed the third canister of tear gas into the home at 2 a.m. Sunday, said Craig.

Police then heard several gunshots in the home, said Craig. After that, they no longer had any contact with Smith.

Not knowing whether the alleged gunman was still alive, police used a robot to enter the second floor of the home late Monday morning, said Craig. The robot, equipped with a camera, showed images of the gunman and girlfriend both deceased.

During the standoff, a nearby school canceled its classes Monday. Neighbors were told to remain in their homes.

As neighbors finally emerged in the aftermath of the ordeal, they could only shake their heads.

Michael Brown said he couldn’t even imagine the nightmare being visited on the women’s family.

“You lose three family members in one day. It’s unheard of,” he said.

The shooting follows the death of Officer Glenn Doss, who died Jan. 28 at age 25 at Detroit Receiving Hospital after being shot in the head Jan. 24 while responding to a domestic violence call the previous Wednesday on the city’s east side.

fdonnelly@detroitnews.com

Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2G6iuIt</s>DETROIT (AP) — Police say a 14-hour standoff with an armed man in Detroit has ended following the deaths of three women, the suspected shooter and the wounding of three officers who came under fire at the scene.

Detroit police say the standoff began Sunday night after two women were fatally shot during an apparent argument. Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said his officers used a robot Monday to enter a home and confirm the gunman and a third female victim were dead from gunshot wounds.

Detroit Assistant Police Chief Arnold Williams says officers came under fire at the scene late Sunday. Three officers were wounded — two from the Detroit Police Department and an off-duty officer from the Detroit Public Schools Police Department. Police say the wounds to all three weren’t believed to be life-threatening.</s>DETROIT — The Latest on a Detroit shooting and standoff that left three women dead, three officers wounded and the gunman dead (all times local):

Detroit police have identified the gunman suspected of killing three women and wounding three officers.

Police say Smith died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and had killed his girlfriend, who also was found inside a house on the city’s east side where a standoff lasting 14 hours began Sunday night. Police did not say if the girlfriend died of gunshot wounds.

Police Chief James Craig says about nine responding officers were pinned down by gunfire for about an hour. He says Smith “was heard saying, ‘I will not be taken without a fight.”‘

Police says the two other women were related to Smith’s girlfriend and both were fatally shot.

Police say a 14-hour standoff with an armed man in Detroit has ended following the deaths of three women, the suspected shooter and the wounding of three officers who came under fire at the scene.

Detroit police say the standoff began Sunday night after two women were fatally shot during an apparent argument. Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said his officers used a robot Monday to enter a home and confirm the gunman and a third female victim were dead from gunshot wounds.

Detroit Assistant Police Chief Arnold Williams says officers came under fire at the scene late Sunday. Three officers were wounded — two from the Detroit Police Department and an off-duty officer from the Detroit Public Schools Police Department. Police say the wounds to all three weren’t believed to be life-threatening.

Detroit police say they’re seeking a gunman after two women were fatally shot during an apparent argument and two officers were wounded while responding.

Assistant Chief Arnold Williams says officers came under fire while responding reports of shots being fired at a home on the city’s east side about 10:30 p.m. Sunday. He says the two women and a man were shot. Police said the man was an off-duty Detroit public schools officer.

Chief James Craig told reporters at a news conference a second Detroit police officer was wounded while responding. Police say the wounds to all three weren’t believed to be life-threatening.

Police say the man suspected in the shootings was believed to be holed up in the area and police worked early Monday to get him to surrender.

Detroit police say they’re seeking a gunman after two women were fatally shot and an officer was wounded while responding to the shooting.

Assistant Chief Arnold Williams says officers came under fire while responding reports of shots being fired at a home on the city’s east side about 10:30 p.m. Sunday. He says two women and a man were wounded. Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood confirms that the two women died.

Williams says the officer’s wounds weren’t believed to be life-threatening.

Williams says a man suspected in the shootings was believed to be holed up in the area and police worked early Monday to get him to surrender.

Williams says the initial shooting reportedly followed an argument involving at least one of the victims.</s>DETROIT — A 14-hour standoff in Detroit has ended after the deaths of three women and the suspected gunman and injuries to three officers who came under fire at the scene, police said Monday.

Officers used a robot Monday to enter a home on the city’s east side and confirm the gunman and a third female victim were dead, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said.

The gunman, Lance Smith, 49, was found dead late Monday morning, Detroit Deputy Police Chief Elvin Barren said.

Smith died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and had killed his girlfriend, who also was found inside the house, police said.

Detroit police say the standoff began Sunday night after two women were fatally shot during an apparent argument. Detroit Assistant Chief Arnold Williams says officers came under fire at the scene late Sunday. Three officers were wounded — two from the Detroit Police Department and an off-duty officer from the Detroit Public Schools Police Department. Police say the wounds to all three weren’t believed to be life-threatening.

Barren said the two female victims killed earlier were related to Smith’s girlfriend, and had gone to the house for support during a domestic situation.

“Unfortunately, they became victims as well,” Barren said. Names of the three female victims have not been released.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said about nine responding officers were pinned down by gunfire for about an hour.

“The suspect was heard saying, ‘I will not be taken without a fight,”‘ Craig said.

Craig told a news conference that police had not spoken to the suspect since 2:30 a.m. Monday.

A nearby school was forced to cancel classes Monday for the safety of students and staff.</s>A Detroit gunman shot and killed two women and wounded two more people, including a police officer, during a tense standoff that continued through Monday morning, authorities said.

The suspect killed a neighbor and another woman who tried checking on a loved one just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Detroit police Assistant Chief Arnold Williams told reporters.

He said that an argument during an apparent mental breakdown sparked the fatal gunfire.

“The suspect has made statements he would not go down without a fight,” Williams said.

Man fatally shoots wife in front of her kids, then kills self

Gunshots erupted again as officers rushed to the north Detroit home, where the gunman was holed up with a possible arsenal of weapons. A bullet struck an officer in the leg but the cop is expected to recover.

Another victim was shot and wounded.

The victims and suspect were not immediately identified.

Williams offered few details about the man barricaded inside the home, but did note that he is “suffering from a mental illness,” citing people who know him.

The armed man lacks a criminal history and has a concealed weapon license for at least seven firearms, he added.</s>DETROIT (AP) - A gunman involved in a domestic dispute killed his girlfriend and two women who came to her aid at a Detroit house, and wounded three officers during a 14-hour standoff that ended Monday when police found the suspect dead of a self-inflicted gunshot, authorities said Monday.

Police identified the dead suspect as Lance Smith, 49, who had no criminal history and had not been in contact with police before the shooting.

Police received a call about shots fired at the residence at 10:27 p.m. Sunday. The call was placed by an off-duty Detroit Public Schools police officer who happened to live in the neighborhood, Police Chief James Craig said.

Responding officers were shot at and "pinned down for almost an hour," Craig said.

The three officers wounded in Detroit followed what one national group called one of the deadliest periods in recent memory for police with seven officers killed in the U.S. last week. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund said six of the seven were shot and one died in an auto crash.

During the Detroit confrontation, police reinforcements were eventually able to remove two female relatives of Smith's girlfriend who had been fatally shot and the off-duty school officer, who had injuries that were not life-threatening. The two relatives had gone to the house for support during the dispute.

"Unfortunately, they became victims as well," Barren said. The names of the three female victims were not immediately released.

The off-duty school officer is married to one of the female victims, police said. Smith shot two other officers who responded to the scene. Their wounds also were not life-threatening.

"The suspect was heard saying, 'I will not be taken without a fight,'" Craig said. "He clearly expressed an intention to do harm; he clearly expressed intention to hurt police officers."

Craig told a news conference that police last spoke to the suspect at about 2:30 a.m. Monday.

Officers used a robot to enter the home later Monday morning to confirm that the gunman and a third female victim were dead, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said.</s>DETROIT - An hourslong standoff between police and a gunman accused of killing three women and injuring three police officers ended Monday afternoon when police found the suspect dead inside a Detroit home.

Police said the man had killed two women before shooting an off-duty police officer from the Detroit Public Schools Police Department (DPSPD). He then fired upon responding officers from the Detroit Police Department, injuring two of them. None of the officers suffered life-threatening injuries. They were all shot in the lower leg.

A third victim was found dead inside the home with the gunman Monday afternoon. Police said she was the gunman's girlfriend. The gunman was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said his officers used a robot to enter the home and confirm the gunman and third female victim were dead before officers entered the home.

Detroit Police Deputy Chief Elvin Barren said all of the victims are in their 50s, except one who was in her 40s.

Homicide detectives are taking over the case.

Watch an update from Detroit police here:

Officers pinned down by gunfire for an hour

It all started about 10:30 p.m. Sunday at the home on Lamont Street near East Outer Drive and Ryan Road. Detroit police officers responded to the home on the report of shots fired. Detroit Police Chief James Craig said about nine of his responding officers were pinned down by gunfire for about an hour. The gunman fired an unknown number of rounds in two separate attacks on the officers.

The suspect had shot and killed the women, shot the DPSPD officer and then started firing upon Craig's officers. Craig identified the suspect as 49-year-old Lance Smith. He has no criminal history, Craig said, as he called this deadly shooting and attack on police an "anomaly." Family members said the man suffered from mental illness, but Craig said there is nothing to confirm such.

Police said there were seven guns registered to the residence on Lamont Street. The man did live in the home.

"No shots were fired by the Detroit Police Department or any other agency," said Barren.

Police did use gas to try to get the suspect out of the home, to no avail. The deputy chief said three rounds of a chemical agent were deployed. State police also deployed two flash bangs to try to get a response from the suspect, which also was not successful.

'I will not be taken without a fight'

Chief Craig said the man inside the home made it clear he wanted to deliberately fight with law enforcement.

"The suspect was heard saying, 'I will not be taken without a fight,'" said Craig.

During a news conference mid-Monday morning Craig said the suspect had not been spoken to since 2:30 a.m. Monday and remained barricaded inside the home. Craig said it was possible he could have been dead inside the home.

"Based on his actions overnight, this is a very dangerous situation," he said.

Detroit police and state police blocked off streets and roads in the neighborhood. Neighbors were instructed to shelter in place during the standoff and to stay away from windows. There were no evacuations ordered.

Nearby Mason Elementary Middle School was forced to cancel classes Monday for the students' and faculty's safety.

A neighbor who was believed to be involved was taken into custody, Craig said. He was believed to be barricaded inside the home nextdoor. However, Craig said the man is not considered a suspect and will be released. The man had contacted the DPS officer to report the shots fired.

"He's going to be released. He was not involved in this incident at all," said the chief.</s>Three Detroit police officers were shot and three women were killed Sunday when a gunman opened fire, and reportedly barricaded himself in a home during the "melee" in an hourslong standoff.

The standoff ended Monday afternoon after the suspected gunman was found dead inside the home in east Detroit. A third woman, believed to be the suspect's girlfriend, was found dead when police entered the residence more than 14 hours after the incident began, WXYZ reported.

The standoff began around 10 p.m. when police received a call about shots fired at a home. Police arrived and found two women and an off-duty Detroit Public Schools Community District police officer shot, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said during a Monday news conference.

“The suspect was heard saying prior to the instances, ‘I will not be taken without a fight,’” Craig said. “So he clearly expressed an intention to do harm and he clearly expressed intentions to hurt police officers.”

Craig added the gunman “fired an unknown number of rounds” before the DPSCD officer called 911. The shooter then began firing at responding officers for at least an hour, striking a Detroit police officer. A second attack on officers occurred early Monday morning when another Detroit police officer was wounded.

Responding police officers did not return fire during the standoff because it was unclear where the gunfire was coming from, according to Craig. He added that police initially believed another person was firing from a neighboring house, but ultimately determined there was only one barricaded shooter situation.

The women, in their 50s or 60s, were taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. The off-duty DPSCD officer suffered a gunshot wound to the knee and is expected to survive. The two other police officers also suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Despite earlier reports that the suspect was contained, Craig said police took a neighbor into custody and determined the individual did not fire any shots. Craig added the neighbor will be released later today.

Police said an argument may have sparked the incident. The suspect also reportedly suffers from mental illness and has no criminal history. He has seven guns registered under his name.

"It's not just dangerous for police officers — we are in a dangerous line of work — but it is dangerous for our community," Detroit Police Asst. Chief Arnold Williams said, according to WWJ.</s>DETROIT - Three women were killed and three police officers were injured by a gunman who prompted a police standoff that lasted more than 12 hours.

Cynthia Williams; her mother, Barbara Williams; and her aunt, Patricia Williams; were gunned down Sunday night.

"It's crazy how someone can take the life of three beautiful ladies," family friend Bernard Hart said.

The broken windows at Cynthia Williams' house on Detroit's northeast side serve as a reminder of what played out on Lamont Street off East Outer Drive.

Police said Cynthia Williams' boyfriend, Lance Smith, became violent during a heated argument and grabbed a gun. Cynthia was scared and called her mother, who lives next door, for help. Barbara Williams called Patricia Williams, who was staying across the street with her husband.

Cynthia Williams' mother and aunt went to her home to see what was going on, and police said they were met with gunfire before they made it to the house.

"They didn't go with any weapons or anything," Hart said. "They just wanted to see what was going on."

Officials said family members had previously broken up fights between Williams and Smith.

Investigators said Smith killed his girlfriend first and then fatally shot her mother and aunt outside.

A bullet pierced Patricia Williams' husband, and he covered his wife while dialing 911, prompting Detroit police to respond.

Police were involved in a standoff for more than 12 hours, and three officers were shot. In the end, Smith took his own life.

"Nobody expected it to end like this," Hart said. "Nobody."</s>DETROIT - A 14-hour standoff with a barricaded gunman ended Monday with three women dead, three police officers injured and the gunman dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The 49-year-old suspect's death was discovered via a video surveillance robot that Michigan State Police — who relieved Detroit police of their duties several hours into the active scene — sent into a second-floor window of the home on the 19000 block of Lamont Street.

Two women were shot outside the house. When police finally made entry, they discovered that a female hostage — believed to be the man's girlfriend — had also been killed.

The injured police officers — two Detroit Police officers, and one officer from Detroit Public Schools Community District — were all shot in the leg, Detroit Police Deputy Chief Elvin Barren told told reporters Monday afternoon. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

The chaos began to unfold at 10:27 p.m. Sunday, when an off-duty DPSCD police officer who lives in the neighborhood called police about shots fired at the address.

The DPSCD officer was shot first before officers from the Detroit Police Department arrived on scene, Barren said.

At one point, officers were "pinned down" by gunfire, officials said.

"SRT, our SWAT team, were able to rescue three members who were pinned down, using our armored vehicle to get them to a safe location," Barren said. "Another part of the response was officers. Once (an officer's) partner went down, he was able to grab his partner and pull him, again with that injury to his leg, pull him out of harm's way."

Barren said the school officer was married to one of the women who were shot outside The women were 62 and 71, Detroit Police Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood said.

At least one woman is believed to have been related to the gunman's girlfriend.

"We do know (the incident) stems from a domestic incident involving the suspect and his loved one," Barren said. "And from there, it appears family members did respond, in a matter of supporting or protecting the loved one, and unfortunately they became victims as well."

The school officer was released from the hospital Monday. The Detroit officers were expected to be released by Tuesday, at the latest.

During the standoff, Detroit police deployed multiple rounds of chemical agents into the house an attempt to coax the suspect out. Michigan State Police used flash-bang grenades. Gas service was cut to the home after the gunman started fires inside it.

At one point, the gunman was heard saying he "wouldn't go down without a fight."

"He clearly expressed an intention to do harm; he clearly expressed intention to hurt police officers," Police Chief James Craig said.

The last time officers communicated with the suspect was around 2 a.m.

Michigan State Police sent three camera-equipped robots into the home later Monday.

"The third robot was able to go into the top window and that's when we discovered the individual was deceased," First Lt. Michael Shaw, a spokesman for the agency, told reporters.

The suspect had no criminal history and had no previous contact with police. He was a valid CPL holder and had at least seven guns registered to him.

Family and friends of the suspect have said he suffered from mental illness. Craig, however, said that information had not been confirmed.

At one point, police thought there were two shooters. However, police discarded the theory after arresting a neighbor who they believed to be the second shooter.

What started the shooting is unclear, according to Craig. Initial reports indicated that it began over a fight between the suspect and one of the female victims.

The shooting comes just over a week after the Detroit Police Department mourned the loss of Officer Glenn Doss Jr., who was shot by a barricaded gunman while responding to a domestic violence call on Jan. 24.

The suspect, in that case, Decharlos O. Brooks, has been charged with eight counts of assault with intent to murder, seven counts of resisting and obstructing, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon and 17 counts of felony firearm, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Officer.

At the time, Craig blamed Doss' slaying on police work being dangerous but also society’s failure to treat many of those with mental illness.

“When are we going to realize? We need to do more,” Craig said at a press conference following that shooting.

In recent years, Craig continued, “the number of these barricaded suspects has roughly doubled ... and more often than not, these individuals are mentally ill — the jail is not the place to treat them.”

“This is not a Detroit thing," he said. "This is national. When will it end?”
A gunman kills three civilians and wounds three police officers and another civilian, then kills himself, in a standoff in Detroit.