A standoff with Carlstadt police ended when a local man reportedly turned a gun on himself and committed suicide. It is believed that the suspect shot and killed his wife earlier in the night.
The violent situation unfolded at the home of the suspect and the victim, who were married and had one child together.
According to authorities, the 45-year-old suspect brandished a handgun and used the firearm to kill his wife just outside their shared home on Union Street in Carlstadt, NJ.
After receiving a report of gunshots in the area, the Carlstadt Police Department sent police officers to the scene.
The suspect reportedly barricaded himself inside the residence as members of the Bergen Regional SWAT Team tried to negotiate with him and get him to come outside.
At one point, the suspect gave Carlstadt NJ cops permission to go to the front lawn of the house and retrieve the body of the victim.
Meanwhile, Carlstadt police officers got the couple’s three kids safely out of the house. Carlstadt police reportedly helped the children hop over a fence located in the backyard.
After several hours and with the negotiations appearing to go nowhere, the suspect reportedly used the handgun to take his own life.
It is believed that the suspect may have committed suicide moments before police entered the residence. According to witnesses at the scene, loud sounds of grenades could be heard immediately prior to the end of the standoff.
The domestic violence incident ultimately had a tragic outcome, but at least the three children were unharmed.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is actively investigating the incident and trying to determine what happened. There is no indication at this time that the victim had filed for a restraining order against the suspect.
For more information about this case, view the Patch.com article, “Bergen Husband and Wife Dead in Murder-Suicide: Prosecutor.”