Update: Ex-Soldier Allegedly Kills Himself After SWAT Standoff

Update: Posted May 4, 2011 He survived years in the Army, but a retired soldier couldn’t overcome the experiences that followed him home.

El Paso Police officials said 40-year-old Edward “woody” Wood shot himself at his home on the 300 block of Jardin Bello in the Upper Valley Tuesday night after a fight with his wife and an hours-long SWAT situation.

Friends said Wood was the kindest guy in the world. They also said he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury.

“Every time I had a problem, I came to him,” said one friend who did not want to be identified.

The friend was in recovery treatment with the 40-year-old retired staff sergeant. He said Woody was a family man and an example to injured soldiers.

“He had his wife, he had his kids, he smiled,” the friend said. “He’s always laughing, he’s happy, there’s nothing that can put him down.”

Wood had two children from a previous relationship.

Facebook pictures show he and his wife, 28-year-old Army Capt. Britney Kennedy at their wedding this past December.

Police said the couple got into an argument and Wood brought out a gun on Tuesday night.

The couple struggled for it and a round was fired. Wood then allegedly took out a second gun.

Again, police said the couple struggled. This time, a round that fired grazed Kennedy’s arm and she ran out of the house. Sometime later, after calling a friend to tell him he was scared, Wood allegedly shot himself in the head.

“It’s unpredictable, it’s something that we don’t ask for, they can give you medication, but even the medication can make you better or make you worse,” the friend said.

His injured friends now wonder about their future.

“You know that this guy’s going to make it and that he’s going to follow through, full recovery and lead a happy life, and now … he’s dead,” the friend said. “Now ,I’m left second guessing myself, if I’m going to be okay.”

Fort Bliss confirmed Wood was retired from the Army, but officials couldn’t say if he was medically discharged because of PTSD.

Previous Story Posted May 3, 2011: By Veronique Masterson / ABC-7 One man is dead after a more than three hour SWAT standoff in El Paso’s upper valley.

El Paso Police said officers responded to a domestic violence call just before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, officials said a woman was in the front yard of a house in the 300 block of Jardin Bello Avenue. They said she had wounds consistent with a gunshot injury, but were not life threatening.

About six homes on Jardin Bello Avenue were immediately evacuated for safety precautions. One resident said he heard a gunshot go off.

At about 9:30 p.m., the sound of a negotiator asking the man inside one of the homes to come out, could be heard over a loud speaker.

At about 10 p.m., officials went inside the home and found the unidentified man inside dead. Authorities said the preliminary investigation suggests he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Residents were allowed back inside their homes shortly after police discovered the man’s body.

Police have not said what the relationship was between the woman and the man. They said their investigation is ongoing.