Suspect in hours-long standoff believed to be dead after explosion, fire at Troup County home

LAGRANGE, Ga. — A man who barricaded himself inside a house in LaGrange for several hours is now believed to be dead after a 18-hour standoff, according to police.

A police source confirmed the standoff ended to Channel 2′s Mark Winne. The man, identified as Brian Jessee, had been inside the home since Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m.

The LaGrange Police Department told residents to avoid the area of Sunny Point Circle and Moss Creek Drive for an ongoing incident. People living in the area are not currently being allowed into the neighborhood.

After several hours of no activity Wednesday, a fire started from the garage of the home around 7:30 a.m. Police told Channel 2′s ABC affiliate WTVM that the fire was started from tannerite explosion.

Residents were allowed to start entering the neighborhood again around 10 a.m.

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Police say they initially responded to a home on Sunny Point Circle just before 1 p.m. Monday to check on two 8-year-olds who were inside the home with a man identified as Brian Jessee, who was threatening to commit suicide. The children were removed from the home.

On Tuesday, officers were beginning a mental health evaluation on Jessee.

Before they could, police got warrants to arrest Jessee on six counts of terroristic threats, one count of cruelty to a child and one count of felony obstruction.

Around 3 p.m., officers then learned that Jessee had multiple firearms and explosives inside the house and began evacuating people in the area.

While evacuating the neighborhood, officers saw Jessee outside the home with an AR-15 that he began firing.

Officers said they made several attempts over several hours to resolve the situation before Jessee barricaded himself inside the home, where he remained for the rest of the day and into Wednesday morning.

These attempts were met with more gunfire. Officers attempted to get into the house with an armored vehicle, but were again met with gunfire.

Police have also used gas and smoke to try and get Jessee out of the home. Investigators also add that he is alone inside the home.

Channel 2′s ABC affiliate WTVM reports that an explosion

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