One dead, four removed safely after home standoff near Inverness, deputies say

One person is dead, four escaped unharmed and a suspect is in custody after a standoff Saturday afternoon at a home north of Inverness, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said.

At around 4 p.m., deputies learned that shots had been fired and an armed suspect had blockaded himself in a home near U.S. 41 and Van Ness Road

SWAT Teams from Citrus and Sumter counties were able to remove four people from inside the house, the Citrus Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Working with the four, authorities persuaded the suspect to leave the home and surrender a weapon. Deputies took the suspect into custody and later found a body inside the house.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim,” Citrus Sheriff Mike Prendergast said. "Our detectives will continue to work diligently to bring them justice.”