LAKE WALES, Fla. — A man and his 19-year-old stepson are dead following an early morning hostage situation at a Lake Wales home that turned into a murder-suicide, Polk County law enforcement reports.
Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said a woman called the department around 4 a.m. Monday to ask for help getting her kids out of a home on Lindsey Place, near the intersection of Tartan Loop due to a "domestic-related situation."
The woman was not at the house at the time but met police outside the home.
"What started out as a domestic-related situation has turned into a tragic, tragic scenario for a number of people involved," Velasquez said during a news conference.
When officers arrived, a child ran out of the house and told officers that 39-year-old Antonio Oliver was inside, and they thought they had "heard a gun cock," the chief continued.
From there, Velasquez said police tried everything to try and get Oliver to come out peacefully. But Oliver didn't want that, the chief explained, saying instead he wanted to just walk outside and have cops shoot him. That was something police "didn't want," Velasquez said.
At one point during the standoff, Oliver reportedly told police not to shoot in the house.
"The reason he said that was because he was essentially using the children [who] were inside as a shield," Velasquez explained. "He didn't want the children to get hurt, from what he was telling us."
Around 7 a.m., police reportedly heard a gunshot come from inside the home. From there, S.W.A.T. took immediate action and "made emergency entry" into the home, according to Velasquez.
Once inside, they found Oliver dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound directly behind the front door.
When clearing the house, law enforcement found a 19-year-old, Oliver's stepson, dead in a back bedroom. At this time, police said they believe Oliver killed his stepson. However, it's unknown when exactly the 19-year-old was killed because first responders only heard one gunshot during the standoff.
The two girls inside the home, ages 16 and 14, were not hurt.
"Right now, our main concern is the family, the survivors, and their mental health, and basically their wellbeing," Velasquez said. "We wanna make sure they're okay."
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the S.W.A.T. team found "numerous" firearms inside the home.
"We consider ourselves very, very lucky today. Had he wanted to have a gunfight, he could've created a war," Judd said.
The sheriff added there were 911 calls with Oliver where he "begged us to shoot him."
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.