WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |3 dead after standoff at Hawkins Co. barn

3 dead after standoff at Hawkins Co. barn

MOORESBURG, Tenn. - Three people are dead following a standoff with law enforcement officers at a barn in Mooresburg, Hawkins County, about 50 miles northeast of Knoxville.

The bodies of two men and a woman were found by officers around dawn after the 10-hour standoff that began Monday night.

Kristin Helm, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said the deaths initially appeared to be a murder-suicide.

The identities of the victims were not immediately released pending notification of next of kin.

WATE-TV in Knoxville reported the standoff began around 7 p.m. Monday after a woman called to report a domestic situation.

When officers arrived at the barn, they saw a man with a gun.

Officers said he fired at least one shot at them but then retreated into the unpainted two-story barn.

Around 4 a.m., a male and female were found dead in the lower level of the barn and officers reported hearing footsteps upstairs.

A second male was found dead in the upstairs level of the barn around sunrise.

WATE-TV reported the second male is believed to be the shooter.

At the height of the standoff, at least 40 officers from several agencies were on the scene and three nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

TBI officials were expected to remain on the scene for most of the day Tuesday.

*The Associated Press and WATE-TV in Knoxville contributed to this report.