Standoff with suspect ends hours after domestic-related shooting of woman near Windermere school, deputies say

Standoff with suspect ends hours after domestic-related shooting

A standoff between law enforcement officers and a man suspected of shooting a woman in a domestic incident in Windermere is over, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A standoff between law enforcement officers and a man suspected of shooting a woman in a domestic incident in Windermere is over, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The incident began Tuesday afternoon just a few blocks from an elementary school, which prompted authorities to secure the school's campus. Upon arrival, deputies discovered a woman who had been shot and they suspected a gunman was barricaded inside a home on Sonco Avenue.  

Deputies entered the home hours later and found the man deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was later identified as Richard Stoner, 55. 

What we know:

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:30 p.m. to a domestic-related shooting at a Windermere home on Sonco Avenue. 

When deputies arrived, they found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. She is in stable condition, authorities reported in a Jan. 28 update. 

Authorities believed the suspect was inside the home so a SWAT team and the Hazardous Devices Unit were called to the scene.  Authorities blocked off the area, which included parks and homes, as they investigated, with officers using loudspeakers to issue commands to the suspect.

Just blocks away, Keene’s Crossing Elementary School had been placed on a secure hold as a precaution. All students and staff were safe, authorities said. The school later conducted a modified dismissal. Nearby Bridgewater Middle School and Windermere High School were operating under normal conditions, a school spokesperson said.

What they're saying:

Just after 8 p.m., the sheriff's office said the standoff had ended.

"After hours of making call-outs for the suspect to come out of the residence, this evening deputies made entry and found the suspect deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," the sheriff's office said in a statement sent to FOX 35 News.