TEMPE, Ariz. — The suspect in a standoff that led to a shooting and house fire died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after barricading himself inside the home with a woman, Marshals said Monday.
The case has become even more complex following the recent discovery of a woman's body at the scene of the destructive house fire.
According to the US Marshals Service, task force members were trying to arrest Matthew Walsh, 35, Thursday on warrants for burglary, trafficking in stolen property, felony flight, and had an active probation violation warrant from Maricopa County before the standoff began.
Walsh was found at the home on East Del Rio Drive in Tempe. Four people left the house when the Marshals showed up but Walsh barricaded himself inside, Marshals say.
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Marshals worked with the Chandler Police Department, Tempe SWAT and Mesa SWAT to negotiate Walsh's surrender. Shortly after barricading himself in the home with the woman, Walsh began firing at officers, Marshals say.
When officers moved to take cover Walsh left the home and jumped the fence into a neighbor's yard. Marshals say Walsh was armed with a handgun as he tried to run away and was hit by police gunfire before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officers then noticed smoke billowing out of the home causing multiple fire agencies to respond. Firefighters and investigators then the spent the following four days processing the burned residence.
During this process, a woman's body was discovered. Officials have not disclosed her identity.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown currently but is under investigation.
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