CEDAR CITY, Utah — A man was found dead inside his own residence following an hours-long standoff on Memorial Day, St. George News* reports.
Iron County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at approximately 11 a.m. Monday to investigate a reported assault in an unincorporated neighborhood north of Cedar City near 5100 North and 2800 West.
“Deputies were advised a female caller stated there was a shirtless male wearing blue jeans covered in blood carrying an AR-15 style rifle who said he was attacked and needed assistance as he had been assaulted by someone and had the rifle for protection,” a news release stated.
The gunman, who was later identified as 61-year-old David Peterson, was reportedly bleeding from a head wound and had demanded that the neighbor use her cell phone to call 911.
Several homes along 2900 West and neighboring streets were evacuated as a precaution, Lt. Del Schlosser told St. George News.
Officers from the Iron County Metro SWAT team set up a perimeter around an unsecured residence located at approximately 2900 West and 5050 North, the sheriff’s office said. K-9 officers were called to assist in clearing the building, as it was initially believed Peterson might have been hiding in the attic.
After eventually determining that Peterson was not inside that residenc0e, the officers turned their attention to the house next door to the north, where Peterson lived.
After repeated attempts to communicate with Peterson via loudspeaker, a search warrant was granted and the SWAT team gained entrance.
However, Peterson was found to be already dead inside the home when officers entered.
The cause of Peterson’s death is still under investigation, Schlosser said, adding that there are no other individuals believed to have been involved.
Even so, that does not necessarily mean that Peterson took his own life, Schlosser said. “Currently, it doesn’t appear that way. It may be a medical issue, or it could be a number of things. We don’t know yet.”
*St. George News and FOX 13 News have a content-sharing partnership.
