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SPRING HILL, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sheriff's deputy fatally shot a man who opened fired on him Saturday after the man first shot a relative, authorities said.
Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis told reporters that deputies went to a home in a Spring Hill gated community at about 2:30 p.m. after someone inside called 911 to report that a family member was threatening others with a gun and might be on drugs. During the call, gunfire erupted.
The first deputy arrived within three minutes and was met by gunfire from inside the house. The deputy took cover in a neighbor's garage across the street and returned fire, Nienhuis said.
The gunman then came outside and continued firing, even as neighbors emerged to see what was happening, according to Nienhuis. The deputy left the garage and shot the gunman, killing him, t he sheriff said. He said the gunman was in the mid-20s and was believed to live in the home.
A person shot several times by the gunman inside the home was taken to the hospital, but is expected to survive, the sheriff said.
The deputy was not shot, but was treated at the scene for minor injuries suffered while escaping the gunfire. He has been placed on paid leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the shooting.
None of those involved were identified.
Spring Hill is 50 miles (80 kilometers) miles north of Tampa.
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