A barricaded gunman accused of threatening his parents and vowing mass violence held police at bay for more than half a day before surrendering late at night.
MILWAUKEE, WI – A 33-year-old man is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he threatened to kill his parents and others, then barricaded himself inside a Milwaukee home during a 14-hour standoff that ended with his surrender. The incident unfolded across March 27 and 28 at a residence near 68th Street and West Brentwood Avenue.
Vance Lee is charged with failure to comply with an officer’s attempt to take a person into custody, disorderly conduct, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, and ten counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to jail records. A criminal complaint cited by local reports outlines a series of escalating threats made inside the home.
Threats inside family home
According to the complaint, Lee’s parents told authorities their son came downstairs armed with a rifle and a handgun and threatened to shoot them. At one point, he called his brother and said, “We are all dying today.” The parents remained in their bedroom out of fear, telling police their son warned he “would kill everyone and hide in the basement ready for anything if police arrived.”
The complaint states the parents expressed concern for their son while also acknowledging they could not manage the situation given the severity of the threats.
Standoff escalates with gunfire, tear gas
Police were dispatched to the home around 8:45 a.m. on March 28. Authorities say Lee refused to exit and barricaded himself inside. During the standoff, he allegedly used a shotgun to shoot down a police drone from the second floor of the residence.
Images from the scene showed law enforcement deploying tear gas and positioning an armored vehicle outside as the situation stretched into the evening. After approximately 14 hours, Lee surrendered at about 10:20 p.m.
Inside the home, authorities reported recovering a shotgun, four rifles, five handguns, body armor, and roughly 800 rounds of ammunition. The complaint also states Lee admitted to recent alcohol use and methamphetamine use.
Lee was booked into custody and ordered held on a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 7.
