A witness on the scene sent this photo to the Rant. It was taken shortly before the shooting.
UPDATE (4:24 p.m.): City police said in a statement released Thursday afternoon that the standoff began when the man, who was not named but identified as being 28 years old, was found by officers sitting in front of a building on Charlotte Avenue, armed with a gun and threatening to harm himself. The statement indicates that the man shot himself after an hour and a half of officers communicating with him. The full statement is below:



UPDATE: 3:28 p.m.): Sources tell the Rant that the armed man did not survive his injuries.

UPDATE: The armed man reportedly shot himself, and was not shot by police as was previously reported, sources are now telling the Rant.

An armed man shot himself after a standoff with police on Thursday afternoon in downtown Sanford, the Rant has learned. Customers at the nearby La Dolce Vita Pizzeria who had been told to stay inside during the standoff were allowed to leave following the shooting. An ambulance is on the scene, but has not left to take the injured man to the hospital. More details will be made available as they come in.

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The aftermath of the shooting.
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