Barricaded Man Shot, Killed Himself: Police

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A Thursday night phone call from a concerned friend to St. Petersburg Police led to a standoff that ended when a man barricaded inside a home shot and killed himself, officials say.

According to the police department, officers received a call about a possibly armed and suicidal man inside a home in the 4500 block of Carson Street Northeast around 9 p.m. March 16. Officers responded to the scene and heard what they thought was a gunshot, an email from the agency said. SWAT was called out to the scene.

Around 2 a.m. Friday, after several attempts had been made to contact the man inside the home, police entered.

James Scott Dion, 54, was found “dead from a self-inflicted gunshot,” the department said. “No one else was injured and officers never fired any shots.”

With an estimated 42,000 deaths attributed to suicide annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists this as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

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