Gunman dies of self-inflicted wound after standoff at Paramount home, authorities say

PARAMOUNT, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a home in Paramount after residents said he positioned himself underneath the house and shot and wounded a homeowner, prompting an hourslong standoff with a SWAT team.

Deputies responded at about 9:38 p.m. Friday to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the area of San Carlos Street and El Camino Avenue, said a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Lakewood Station.

The victim was struck by a gunshot that came from the floor of the home, his adult son said in an interview. According to family members, authorities initially doubted the report that a shooter underneath the residence had opened fire.

When deputies arrived at the scene they discovered a man in a crawl space beneath the house. A standoff involving a sheriff's SWAT team ensued.

"After a constant effort by (an) LASD Crisis Negotiation Team making numerous attempts to bring about a peaceful resolution, contact with the armed barricaded suspect was unsuccessful," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

SWAT deputies deployed a robot with an attached camera, which discovered the man deceased inside the home, the news release said. He was not immediately identified.

The victim's son described his father's injuries as superficial and said he is expected to survive.