A domestic dispute in Columbia County, Florida, turned deadly on Friday when a man shot and killed a woman and then was shot and killed by a deputy who responded to the scene. According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home on U.S. 44 South and SE Patio Glen around 10:30 a.m. in reference to a domestic disturbance.
When they arrived, they saw a man shoot a woman, prompting a deputy to shoot the man. The man and the woman died at the scene. Their identities have not been released yet. The deputy was uninjured. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident and an administrative review will also be conducted as standard protocol in an officer-involved shooting.
According to a Facebook post from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office:
The sheriff’s office said the incident lasted for seven hours and involved negotiations with the suspect, who barricaded himself inside the home after shooting the woman. The suspect was later identified as 28-year-old Roy Andrew “Drew” Barr, an officer with the Cayce Police Department in South Carolina. The woman was his estranged wife, who had filed for divorce and obtained a restraining order against him.
Check out some other new content we’ve published:
- California Woman Accused of Stabbing Two People in Pullman Held on $1 Million Bond
- Is Nancy Pelosi Running for Re-Election? What Are Her Chances of Winning Re-Election?
Barr had traveled from South Carolina to Florida to confront his wife, who was staying with her parents at the home where the shooting occurred. He had also posted several messages on social media expressing his anger and frustration over the divorce.
The sheriff’s office said Barr shot his wife multiple times before shooting himself in the head. He was still alive when the deputy shot him, but he later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sheriff Mark Hunter expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and praised the deputy for his actions.
“This is a tragic situation that has impacted many lives today,” Hunter said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved. I want to commend our deputy for his quick and courageous response that undoubtedly saved lives today.”
