Florida Gunman, Sheriff's Office Deputy Killed In Tallahassee Shootout

Police fatally shot a gunman in Tallahassee Saturday after he killed one sheriff's deputy and injured another outside his home, which he had set afire, the Associated Press reported. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said the man ambushed the first deputy and killed him before stealing his gun and shooting down his street, wounding the second deputy. At that point, police fatally shot the suspect. No names have been released, AP said.

“There are a lot of components at work right now,” Lt. James McQuaig, a representative of the sheriff’s office, told the Tallahassee Democrat. “This scene is still active. It is still developing.”

The suspect set his house on fire in the Plantation Woods neighborhood at about 10:15 a.m. EST. He then shot and killed the first person to respond. Another police officer with a home nearby heard the gunshots and ran to the house, AP reported. The gunman wounded him, but he was partially protected by his bulletproof vest. He was later taken to the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare hospital with injuries deemed to be not life-threatening, the Tallahassee Democrat said.

Heavy rain drove authorities and reporters on the scene into StarMetro buses as Saturday afternoon, WCTV assignment editor Alex Yoder said via Twitter:

Yoder later brought his Twitter followers up-to-date by writing:

Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued a statement expressing his sadness about the one deputy’s death and his hope for the other deputy’s quick recovery, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. “Ann and I pray that God provides comfort to those who have been impacted by these senseless acts, and we also pray that God watch over the heroes in law enforcement who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our loved ones,” Scott said. “Law enforcement in our state’s Capitol area faced especially tumultuous circumstances this week, and they have responded with the kind of bravery and heroism that families across Florida honor.”

This was the second highly publicized shooting in Tallahassee this week. Late Wednesday night, Florida State University alumnus Myron May opened fire at a library on campus. He shot three people -- two of them students -- before being killed by police, NBC News reported. Two of the people had minor injuries, but 21-year-old Farhan Ahmed remained in critical condition Friday.

With both incidents in mind, the Florida Sheriffs Association tweeted Saturday afternoon: