Shooting Suspect Found Dead Inside Cost Cutters

sioux falls, sd

The standoff with a deadly shooting suspect in Sioux Falls is over and police have identified the woman killed.

Police say the suspect was found dead inside a hair salon.  His body was discovered after the SWAT team entered the building.

Sioux Falls police say the suspect took his two young children from a baby sitter's home, shot and killed a woman in a car and walked into the Cost Cutters at 41st Street and Kiwanis Avenue before holding four employees hostage.  Police say the woman killed is Amanda Connors; she worked at the salon.

Officials received a call about a hostage situation at the salon at 41st Street and Kiwanis Avenue around 1:10 p.m. It wasn't long before the four female employees inside walked out safely.  They told police the gunman was the only person still inside and that they heard a gunshot but didn't know his condition.

That's when SWAT team surrounded the Plaza 41 strip mall, which also houses the Original Pancake House, Pizza Ranch and Y's Buys.

Police say the whole situation began to unfold at 1 p.m. Tuesday when the suspect showed up with a gun at a baby sitter's home at 18th Street and Holly Avenue and took his two children.  Minutes later, they believe he shot and killed a woman in her car in the parking lot in front of Cost Cutters before walking inside.  At this point, police don't know how the suspect knew Connors other than that she worked with the mother of the man's children at the salon.

The two children are in police custody.

Nearby O'Gorman High School and Junior High were placed on a modified lockdown for the afternoon, which allowed students to go about their day but locked all exterior doors to the buildings.  Local businesses were also locked down as a precaution.  Traffic on 41st Street and Kiwanis Avenue were also detoured during the standoff.

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