On Sunday 5/11/2014, at approximately 9:50 pm the De Soto Police received a call from a woman reporting that she had received a call from her 25 year old daughter in De Soto telling her that her husband had a loaded gun and was threatening to shoot her. There were also two children ages 2 years old and 1 year of age in the residence at the time.
The Husband a 27 year old male had several firearms in the residence. The family resides in the 700 block of South Fifth Street in De Soto. Shortly after that, at approximately 10:03 pm, a Hillsboro PD officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer stopped the vehicle, and learned that it was driven by the father of the female in the residence. The father was on his way to assist his daughter.
With the assistance of the father, the Hillsboro officer was able to make cell phone contact with the female inside the residence. The female and the children were able to barricade themselves in a downstairs bedroom, while the husband was upstairs. The Hillsboro officer was able to keep her on the phone and as calm as possible.
In the meantime De Soto Police Officers with the assistance of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department had responded to the residence and established a perimeter. Assistance was requested from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department S.E.R.T. (Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team). The Officers on the scene heard a single gunshot from inside the residence at approximately 10:12 pm.
The Hillsboro officer was able to direct the female to open a window in the bedroom, remove a screen. She was able to hand her children out the window to De Soto Police officers. . The female then climbed out the window. All were taken to safety at approximately 11:05pm.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department S.E.R.T. Team responded and made entry to the residence at approximately 1:30am.
The 27 year old male subject was found in the upstairs bedroom deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The male subject was reported to have been under a doctor’s care for a mental illness.
The incident is still under investigation by the De Soto Police Department. No names are being released until next of kin can be notified.
The De Soto Police were assisted in this incident by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Festus Police, Arnold Police, Pevely Police, Hillsboro Police, Valle Ambulance and the De Soto Fire Department.
City of De Soto 