Brandon Ursa: Man who barricaded himself in LA home found dead with wrists cut after 2-day standoff
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Authorities said that a man, who barricaded himself in a Valinda home for two days and fired more than 100 bullets with a powerful rifle at civilians and law enforcement officers to keep them at bay, was found dead. As the tense standoff in the San Gabriel Valley lasted into Sunday, deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department employed armored vehicles to prevent bullets from striking nearby homes.
Those close to where the man had barricaded himself were also required to leave their homes, the Los Angeles Times reported. Sheriff's officials on Monday, March 13, identified the suspect as Brandon Ursa, 45, as no further information was shared. The Valinda home where Ursa barricaded himself belonged to his girlfriend.
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'Suspect gave no reason for opening fire'
Carrying a high-power rifle, Ursa fired at the deputies as they arrived in the area, authorities said. The deputies returned the fire while Ursa barricaded himself inside his girlfriend's home at the 16900 block of Wing Lane, chief Jorge Valdez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a press conference. The suspect revealed no specific reason for opening the fire during his communication with the negotiators, Lt Calvin Mah said during the press conference.
'Ten local families forced to move'
Though one woman was injured in the incident, she was not shot. During the weekend, ten local families were forced to move as crisis mediators and the sheriff's special enforcement bureau attempted to end the standoff, police said. They were placed in a nearby hotel.
Lt Tom Giandomenico of the sheriff's special enforcement bureau reported that more than 100 gunshots were fired from the home. To get cameras inside the house and have a look at the situation, officers cut holes through the roof of the house. In an effort to make the shooter uncomfortable and make it more challenging for him to exit the house, deputies also used pepper spray, according to Giandomenico.
“I could tell you at 2 o’clock in the morning [Sunday], he was still cussing and sending text messages about his ability to want to put harm on us and our personnel,” Giandomenico said during a press conference on Sunday, March 12.
'Self-inflicted wounds found on gunman's body'
Deputies entered the house at 4 pm on Sunday, March 12, and discovered Ursa dead, according to Valdez. The cause of death has not yet been established, however, an examination of Ursa's body by detectives revealed wrist incisions that appeared to have been self-inflicted.