15-hour Lancaster standoff ends after armed suspect found dead inside home

Standoff ends with man's arrest in Lancaster

Surrounding homes were evacuated for the safety of the residents, according to the LASD.

LANCASTER, Calif. - A tense 15-hour standoff in a Lancaster neighborhood concluded Tuesday morning when a barricaded, armed man was found dead inside a home. 

What we know:

Deputies from the Lancaster Station first responded to the 43967 block of Blue Sky Court near Engle Way at around 3:30 p.m. Monday following reports of a barricaded armed suspect. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) arrived shortly after to assume tactical command. 

For public safety, surrounding homes were evacuated, and Avenue J-8 was shut down between 21st Street West and 25th Street West.

A Crisis Negotiation Team worked through the night to "make contact with the suspect to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion," officials said. 

But the standoff took a grim turn just before 6 a.m. Tuesday when a gunshot was possibly heard in the residence.

Shortly after, the man was discovered dead, and the barricade was officially declared over an hour later, according to the LASD.

What we don't know:

The identity of the man has not yet been released, and the motive behind the initial barricade remains unclear.

While a gunshot was reported by those on the scene shortly before the discovery, the official cause of death has not been confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

What's next:

The Sheriff's Homicide Bureau has taken over the scene to conduct a formal death investigation. 

Once the investigation inside the home is complete, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. 

Roads in the immediate area are expected to reopen once the scene is cleared.