TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A man was found dead inside a reception center in Taylorsville after an hours-long standoff with police.
The man was later identified as 63-year-old Kenneth Taylor.
Taylorsville Police said the incident began with a medical call at the Aspen Landing reception center, located at 6388 S. Redwood Road where a 60-year-old man was reported to be experiencing a stroke.
The building is a wedding venue and is used to host receptions and other events.
A crew with the Unified Fire Department responded, but when they arrived, Taylor reportedly pointed a handgun at the firefighters. The crew then exited the building and called in the police department. A SWAT team then responded and was in place for over three hours.
Over multiple hours, officials tried to contact Taylor, who barricaded himself in the center, police reported.
Around 4:30 p.m., police obtained a search warrant and entered the building after not being able to contact Taylor.
SWAT teams broke a window and used an interior drone, which is how they located Taylor in the office of the wedding venue with injuries.
Members of the SWAT team entered the building and found Taylor had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988 any time for free support. Resources are also available online at utahsuicideprevention.org. You can also download the SafeUT app for instant, confidential crisis services.
