Encinitas Shooting: Gunman, Evan Kwik, Commits Suicide After Long Standoff with San Diego Police

By Staff Reporter | Feb 21, 2013 11:45 AM EST

A California man, identified as 22-year-old Even Kwik, shot and wounded two San Diego sheriff deputies on Wednesday. He later shot and killed himself, ending a nearly eight-hour stand-off with SWAT squad.

According to reports, a woman called the authorities once she discovered her adult son had stolen her car. At about 3 p.m., the woman called back to say that her son returned home, according to the Los Angeles Times. Two patrol deputies were sent to the residence and spent several minutes negotiating with Kwik, but he refused to come out and began making threatening remarks.

"After several minutes of negotiation with him, which were unsuccessful, and because of some statements he was making, they deployed less lethal tear gas," sheriff Captain Duncan Fraser said.

Kwik responded with gunfire and hit a pair of officers. The two men were evacuated to nearby hospitals, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department. One of the deputies was hit in the forehead and the other in the leg. 

The standoff increased, in which dozens of crisis negotiators and SWAT teams from around the county flocked to the scene, and were in contact with the suspect for several hours. It lasted into the early hours of Thursday and at 1:30 a.m., robots were sent into the home to check on Kwik. About 10 minutes after, SWAT officers entered the residence and found Kwik dead of a self-inflicted wound. 

There were no other reported injuries in the long standoff. Investigators are expected to be on the scene for several hours and the street will remain closed for most of Thursday morning. 

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