Man killed by deputies after firing shots outside Airbnb in Ormond-by-the-Sea: Sheriff's office

Man killed by deputies after firing shots: VCSO

A veteran and convicted felon from Connecticut open fired from inside an Ormond Beach condominium Airbnb and was killed by a Volusia County sniper.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A veteran and convicted felon from Connecticut open fired from inside an Airbnb condominium on Thursday, prompting a standoff with deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, according to investigators.

That standoff at the Kingston Shores Condominiums near Ormond-by-the-Sea ended when a sheriff’s office sniper fatally shot the suspect, identified as Joseph Difusco. The ordeal lasted over five hours, with Difusco barricaded in his rental unit, armed with at least three guns, authorities said.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said deputies first encountered Difusco around 4 a.m. after he reported having suicidal thoughts but declined medical transport. Two hours later, deputies were called back when Difusco began firing into neighboring units and at responding law enforcement officers.

"Probably fired over 200 rounds," Chitwood said. "[You could] hear bullets whizzing over our heads, and we were 100 yards back."

Sheriff Chitwood said deputies conducted three previous visits to the condominium, including a well-being check.

"He was not going to negotiate. Every time we would try to negotiate, he would fire on us. {He] turned off his phone. He was armed to the teeth," the sheriff explained.