OAN Brooke Mallory
UPDATED 6:40 PM – Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Authorities have shot and killed a man on Wednesday at a motel in Sanford, Florida, after a day-long confrontation, according to sources. The suspect was accused of killing a woman and her three children in the sunshine state earlier this week.
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Al Joseph Stenson, 38, reportedly locked himself in at the Slumberland Motel, which is roughly 90 minutes north of Lake Wales, according to a news release from Lake Wales police. Police claimed that he had also made threats of harming himself.
According to Lake Wales Police, the barricade ended in an officer-involved standoff after several hours of negotiation. At the site, Stenson’s death was officially confirmed.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Sanford Police Department were both present during the incident.
Just before 10:30 a.m., Sanford police reported that there had been an officer-involved shooting, but they did not immediately release any other information besides that.
Between 27th Street and Park Drive, U.S. 17-92 had been closed due to the continuing investigation.
A 40-year-old mother, her 20-year-old son, 17-year-old daughter, and 11-year-old daughter were shot and killed by Stenson on Tuesday at an apartment at Sunrise Apartments, before fleeing, according to Lake Wales police.
Stenson was reported missing prior, thus police had appealed to the public for assistance in finding him.
Police stated that motive for the shootings is still unknown. They hinted that Stenson knew the four individuals, but did not go into much detail about their relationship. Due to Marsy’s Law, the police have refrained from releasing the names of the deceased victims.
The investigation is reportedly still ongoing.
This is a developing story.
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