VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the suspect, Joseph DiFusco, was “armed for Armageddon.”
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
Chitwood said Difusco fired hundreds of rounds into people’s condos and at deputies and their vehicles.
It happened at the Kingston Condos just of State Road A1A.
Read: Chitwood: Deputies shoot, kill suspect after 4 hour standoff in Ormond Beach
Deputies were first called there around 4:30 a.m. for a suicidal person who they later identified as DiFusco.
Deputies said when they tried to get him to go to the hospital, he refused. Then, hours later, they received calls saying a person (DiFusco) was shooting at residents and their condos.
Chitwood said DiFusco was a veteran from Connecticut who had a long history of mental health issues.
Read: Kissimmee police investigating after body found in canal
Once deputies secured the scene and evacuated residents, Chitwood said the SWAT team worked for hours to get DiFusco to come out of the condo, but he just kept shooting.
“He shot at our negotiators, at the speaker of the truck, he shot at the SWAT truck. He retreated into a back bedroom, and we were able to send in tear gas and corner him. But it was obvious he wasn’t coming out. He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and a tommy gun,” said Chitwood.
Chitwood said that left the SWAT team no choice but to shoot him.
Because law enforcement killed the suspect, FDLE will now take over the investigation which is standard procedure in these cases.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2024 Cox Media Group
