Five dead including two sheriff’s deputies in Boone, NC, shootings

On April 28 in Boone, North Carolina, Sgt. Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence at 553 Hardaman Circle in Boone to conduct a welfare check around 9:44 a.m., “when the homeowner’s employer called to report the homeowner did not report to work or respond to telephone calls.”  When the deputies arrived on the scene, they witnessed that all the vehicles belonging to the homeowners were present and located on the property.  When the deputies entered the residence, they were confronted by gunfire coming from inside the house, according to HCPress.

Both Ward and Fox were struck by the initial onslaught of bullets and a 13-hour standoff between law enforcement and the gunman inside the home ensued.

During an initial rescue attempt of the deputies, a Boone police officer was hit by gunfire, but was uninjured because he was wearing protective gear, the sheriff’s office said.

Ward died after he was taken to Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee, according to the agency. Fox died at the scene.

Three other people, including the suspected shooter, were found dead inside the home after the standoff ended around midnight, authorities said. ~ NBC News

Police believe that the shooter who fired at law enforcement during the standoff also shot and killed his parents – both of whom were later found dead inside the home – before taking his own life, according to Sheriff Deputies.

The Watauga County Sheriff told WCNC-TV that the shooter was a son to one parent and a stepson to another who were shot and killed. The shooter was later identified as 32-year-old Isaac Alton Barnes who police suspect shot and killed his parents Michelle Annette Ligon, 61, and George Wyatt Ligon, 58.  Both of the victims resided at the Hardaman Circle residence in Boone.

Sgt. Chris Ward, 36, was an eight-year veteran in the field of law enforcement. He married his high school sweetheart and is a father of two, ages 19 and 5. He began his career at the Beech Mountain Police Department in 2013, later moving on to the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office where he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

Deputy Logan Fox, 25, was a two-year veteran of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office. He was a K-9 officer who handled Watauga County Sheriff’s Office K-9 “Raven.” Prior to working at the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office as a full-time deputy, he served as full-time deputy with the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Fox’s true passion was serving as a K-9 Officer.

In a statement released by the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and shared by HCPress, Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman said that, “This is an incredibly tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved as well as their families and our community. I greatly appreciate the tremendous support we are receiving from law enforcement agencies across the region and the state.”

The investigation into the tragic killings is still ongoing and being conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

North Carlina’s Governor, Roy Cooper, also released a statement concerning the tragic slayings, saying:

For more on the tragic shootings, see the video accompanying this article.

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter