Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr killed the four children he took hostage before killing himself – bringing horrific end to 24-hr stand-off that started when he shot cop during domestic dispute
Lindsey Jr, 35, allegedly beat his girlfriend and shot at officers responding to the domestic violence call Sunday night
Lindsey a felon currently on probation for arson and other crimes, critically injured an officer during the gunfire exchange, seriously injuring him
Officer Kevin Valencia was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery, listed as critical but expected to survive
Lindsey barricaded himself inside the apartment, taking four children hostage
The children were found by police with fatal gunshot wounds after midnight
Lindsey was also found dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound
Hostage taker Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr, [left], a felon currently on probation for arson and other crimes, shot and injured officer Kevin Valencia ]right], then shot dead four children before killing himself, in Orlando, Fla Monday
Orlando police Chief John Mina said at a press conference just before midnight Monday that the suspect, who was identified as 35-year-old Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr [photo, left], was found dead in a closet when officers entered the apartment nearly 24 hours after the standoff began.
Chief Mina said officers tried to offer one of their phones to Lindsey, whose phone had spotty service, and saw that one of the children had been killed.
officers entered the apartment around 9pm hoping to rescue the others, but all were found dead from gunshot wounds.
The gunman Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr, a felon who is currently on probation for arson and other crimes, is believed to have shot dead four children aged one, six, 10 and 11 before killing himself, ending the day-long standoff with police in Orlando.
Police Chief John Mina told reporters that law enforcement officials responded to a domestic violence call
‘Our hearts go out to all the families involved,’ Mina said.
Two of the children with Lindsey were his children and two belonged to his girlfriend, the police chief said.
The standoff began after officers responded about 11:45 p.m. Sunday to a woman who reported being battered by Lindsey at the Westbrook Apartments, police said. The woman had fled the second-story apartment to a nearby restaurant to call police.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina briefs the media after the stand off with Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr ended horribly
Responding officers were fired upon. Officer Kevin Valencia was shot and was in critical condition but is expected to survive, Mina said Monday. One officer was able to return fire.
Valencia is in his late 20s and has been with the police department since 2016.
Records show Lindsey was on felony probation, having pleaded no contest to charges of arson of a dwelling, willful fleeing or eluding law enforcement and domestic battery.
Those charges stemmed from a 2008 incident at a home on Dixson Street in Volusia County.
In that incident, a woman with whom Lindsey was in a relationship told Orange City police that, during an argument, Lindsey had grabbed a kitchen knife and begun stabbing the living room television. He then punched the TV screen with his fist, breaking it, before going to the bedroom, tearing another television off the wall, throwing it on the floor and jumping on it, an arrest affidavit said.
Lindsey told the woman to leave the home, the report said.
“You need to get the dogs and leave my grave,” he said, according to the affidavit.
The incident occurred on the second floor of the Westbrook Apts, Orlando, Fla
The scene outside the Orlando apartment complex where Lindsey allegedly shot a police officer and held four children hostage. The standoff ended 24 hours later with all four children dead. Lindsey was also found dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Police Chief Mina said the officer was seriously injured during the Sunday night shootout with the suspect and required surgery, but is expected to live
The woman tried to call for help, but Lindsey broke her phone, the affidavit said. Then, he threatened to burn down the house, prompting her to take the dogs and leave, authorities said. After getting into her car, the woman told police she saw Lindsey
retrieving two gasoline cans from the side of the house.
Soon after, firefighters arrived at the home to find it ablaze.
Sheriff’s deputies later apprehended Lindsey during a traffic stop. He smelled of gasoline and had “obvious burnt hairs to both arms,” the affidavit said.
In the home, investigators found a gas can and “pour patterns” indicating that gasoline had been spread around the house, records show.
Since his no-contest plea, Lindsey had repeatedly been accused of violating his probation, records show.
He was arrested at least twice in May, records show. Once in Seminole County, after Sanford police said he stole from a Wal-Mart store, and again in Volusia County, because the Seminole arrest violated his probation.
Lindsey was also arrested on domestic violence charges in April, 2012 after an incident involving another woman in Orange County.
A woman who said she’d been dating Lindsey for two years told deputies Lindsey had grabbed her by the neck during an argument, then held a knife to her face and threatened to kill her.
Orlando Sheriff’s deputies and police officers supporting each other outside the hospital where the police officer was taken for surgery after sustaining serious injury during the shootout with Lindsey
The woman was holding her 7-month old son during the incident, she told deputies, at one point losing her grip on the boy, who slid to the ground but was not hurt, according to the affidavit.
Lindsey denied having grabbed the woman or threatening her with a knife, records show. Prosecutors ultimately decided against pursuing charges against Lindsey in that case.
It’s unclear if either women from the prior two incidents was the woman who escaped Lindsey on Sunday.
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