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Deadly shooting leads to barricade situation, police investigating

By: Maria Arey

Posted

and last updated

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson Police are investigating a deadly shooting following a barricade situation that happened in Tucson early Tuesday morning.

Authorities responded to a residence in the 3700 block of E. 23 rd Street, near Alvernon Way at around 1:50 a.m. after a call was reported to 911, police say. Prior to arrival, authorities were informed that a domestic dispute had happened at the home.

During the incident, a male suspect had shot two females and fled the area, police say.

Upon arrival, officers found a woman with obvious signs of gunshot trauma. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified the victim as 39-year-old Flor Del Mar Hernandez Tapia. Next of kin was notified.

The second victim, a 19-year-old female, was taken to Banner University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police say.

After detectives responded to the scene to continue the investigation, the suspect was identified as 36-year-old Brandon Michael Watts, who is Tapia's boyfriend, according to police. Detectives later learned, that Watts had fled to another area, near E. Irvington Rd. and S. Hotel Drive, in which Pima County Sheriff's deputies had also received a report of a domestic violence disturbance in a hotel room on S. Butterfield Drive.

Upon arrival of PCSD and TPD, it was learned Watts barricaded himself in a room with hostages, police say. After several hours of negotiators attempting to communicate with Watts, SWAT were able to negotiate for him to release the hostages, a mother and her four children.

Police say the children were not hurt and the mother was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Moments later, SWAT members made entry into the hotel room, where they found Watts dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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