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GREENSBORO — A lengthy early morning standoff with a reportedly suicidal man ended Friday when he pointed a gun at police and they shot and killed him.

Shawn Lee Gordon, 25, died Friday afternoon at Moses Cone Hospital after being shot by up to five police officers in the standoff.

Officers originally were called to Gordon’s house at 1504½ American Legion St. following reports of a suicidal man inside the home. Officers surrounded the home, and after more than three hours, Gordon pointed a handgun at them — prompting them to shoot, police Chief Tim Bellamy said. No other injuries were reported.

Gordon’s family said officers shot him through his front door, though police said he was shot on the front porch.

The case has been turned over to the State Bureau of Investigation, which is standard procedure in a shooting involving police officers. The officers will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is also standard procedure.

Bellamy said the incident started just after 4 a.m., when officers received a 911 call from Grady Peeden, Gordon’s brother.

Peeden said Gordon called him about 4 a.m. and asked him if he had heard a gunshot. He said he could see the back door of his brother’s apartment.

“I thought he was just drunk and bored and wanted someone to talk to,” Grady said. “I didn’t take it serious at first, and I heard him reloading a gun (in the background).

“He said, 'Grady, I love you and tell mama I love her.’ He said, 'I am going to kill myself.’ I said, 'Shawn, stop talking.’ I said, 'I gotta go’ and dialed 911 because I was afraid he was going to hurt himself.”

Shortly after officers arrived, a woman ran from the home unharmed as the person inside fired a gun three more times.

Bellamy said officers spent the next hours cordoning off the home. Hostage negotiators and Special Response Team officers were summoned and began communicating by phone with the man who was inside alone.

About 20 houses in the surrounding area were evacuated. Residents boarded city buses and left for a safer location.

About 7:30 a.m., “the male subject exited the residence and pointed a gun at Greensboro police officers, SRT members who were surrounding the house,” Bellamy said.

“The subject pointed a gun at our officers, at which time the SRT team discharged their weapons, striking the subject.”

Bellamy said officers then began first aid. An ambulance rushed him to the hospital.

Throughout the standoff, the suspect is believed to have fired a weapon six to 10 times in all, though it is unclear how many weapons he had, Bellamy said. Peeden said his brother had a shotgun in the house.

Up to five officers — each armed with rifles — are believed to have fired on the suspect, though it is unclear how many times they fired.

Peeden said Gordon had recently been depressed and didn’t have medical coverage to seek treatment. He had also been drinking a lot, Peeden said.

“He keeps hollering and keeps talking back and forth. Before you know, there are about 70 police cars, and they were blocking Church and 16th Street. Then they narrowed it down and just blocked off this little section of Yanceyville, Campbell and American Legion. And they started evacuating neighbors. But this time, I realized he was in a lot of trouble.

“We were scared. He kept calling us, and we were trying to tell him, 'Shawn, just put the gun down and hold your hands in the air. They want to take you to mental health and get you some help.’ We almost had him talked into it.”

Staff writer Jonnelle Davis contributed to this report.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com