A Florida man accused of killing his girlfriend and her three children was shot and killed by police officers at a motel in Orlando following an hours-long standoff on Wednesday.
Authorities said Al Joseph Stenson, 38, killed a 40-year-old woman, her 21-year-old son, her 17-year-old daughter and her 11-year-old daughter in an apartment located at the Sunrise Apartments around 5 a.m. on Tuesday in Lake Wales, Fox Tampa reported
“This is just a tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers, our hearts are broken to see four deceased individuals for absolutely no reason,” Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said.
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Al Joseph Stenson, 38, fatally shot by police after he allegedly killed a woman and her three children, Florida police said. (Lake Wales Police Department )
Neighbors told local media the woman was an elementary school teacher at the school where her 11-year-old attended.
Police officers were not called to the scene until hours later after the bodies had been discovered by relatives. Investigators began searching for Stenson.
He was tracked down to the Slumberland Motel in Sanford where his brother was staying. When officers were able to contact him using a cell phone, Stenson allegedly made threats to kill himself or force officers to kill him.
After hours of negotiations, officers were able to confront him and get the brother out of the area. He put down a gun on the floor but went for it after officers fired a projectile at him.
An aerial view of a standoff between Al Stenson and authorities in Sanford, Florida. (WOFL)
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As he allegedly reached for the firearm, SWAT members and a Sanford police officer opened fire on Stenson and killed him. The teenage child was slated to graduate high school, they said.
