Two Hour Standoff Ends In Killer's Suicide

"PINE CITY, MN — A standoff in east central Minnesota ended early Thursday with a man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and his ex-wife hospitalized after being shot.

"Authorities identified the man as 55-year-old Daniel Shilts and the woman as 55-year-old Dawn Christen.

"Pine County authorities say Shilts forced his way into Christen's home on Sunny Hill Road in rural Pine County around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday night. When she entered the home, Shilts confronted her and shot her in the chest. Christen was able to flee to the bathroom and send a text message to someone stating she had been shot by her ex-husband, and he was still in the home.

"The person who received the text message from Christen called 911, and authorities responded to the home. Deputies from Pine and Chisago Counties arrived on the scene and established a perimeter around the house. Numerous attempts were made to contact Christen by phone and text with no response.

"A Pine County Sheriffs Supervisor was able to make contact with Shilts, who exited the house and was standing on the front deck. He refused to comply with verbal commands to move away from the house, and eventually reentered the home and turned off all the lights.

"Chief Deputy Steven Blackwell says members of the Pine County SWAT Team eventually entered the house and located Christen, who was suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper chest. She was removed from the house and rushed to a Duluth hospital, where she is in serious condition.

"Shilts was cornered in the living room by officers where he threatened suicide while holding a pistol to his head.

"Over the next two hours officers of the Pine and Chisago County SWAT Teams attempted to convince Shilts to surrender but their attempts were unsuccessful. Shilts eventually shot himself in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Authorities say there were no active restraining or protection orders against Shilts."

From KARE11.com...