A gunman who killed himself, two deputies and his mother and stepfather in a 13-hour standoff in Boone had a large cache of weapons and may have been contemplating a public attack, Sheriff Len Hagaman of Watauga County said Thursday.
George Wyatt Ligon, 58, and his wife, Michelle Ligon, 61, were killed Wednesday, and the shooting suspect, Isaac Alton Barnes, 32, died at the scene, the Watauga County Sheriffâs Office said Thursday.
Barnes was Michelle Ligonâs son and the Georgeâs stepson.
Hagaman said that family members worried about the large number of weapons in Barnesâ possession.
âThere was familial concern that he might try to do something and he had evidently a fairly large cache of weapons and he was at the house, which we didnât think he would be,â Hagaman said.
By Bill Galluccio
Apr 29, 2021
Two deputies and three others are dead following an hours-long standoff in Boone, North Carolina. The incident began Wednesday (April 28) morning when deputies with the Watauga County Sheriff s Office went to perform a welfare check after the homeowner and his family didn t show up for work.
As officers entered the house, they came under fire. Two of the deputies were shot. One of the officers, Sergeant
Chris Ward, was extracted from the scene and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The other officer,
Logan Fox, remained trapped inside, and deputies were unable to rescue him as the homeowner shot at them as soon as they got close to the home. He was later pronounced dead. A third officer with the Boone Police Department was also shot. He was struck in the head but was wearing a helmet that saved his life.
By Bill Galluccio
Apr 29, 2021
Two deputies and three others are dead following an hours-long standoff in Boone, North Carolina. The incident began Wednesday (April 28) morning when deputies with the Watauga County Sheriff s Office went to perform a welfare check after the homeowner and his family didn t show up for work.
As officers entered the house, they came under fire. Two of the deputies were shot. One of the officers, Sergeant
Chris Ward, was extracted from the scene and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The other officer,
Logan Fox, remained trapped inside, and deputies were unable to rescue him as the homeowner shot at them as soon as they got close to the home. He was later pronounced dead. A third officer with the Boone Police Department was also shot. He was struck in the head but was wearing a helmet that saved his life.