Two dead after hourslong standoff at home south of Eudora, Kansas
By Chloe Godding
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kansas (KMBC) — What began as a call for help around 9 p.m. Thursday escalated into an hourslong standoff involving the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies that ultimately left two dead.
Over the weekend, authorities identified the individuals involved as Benjamin Roy Eaton Jr., 52, of Eudora, and Nicole Felice Eaton, 44, also of Eudora.
Officers were dispatched to a home in the 900 block of East 2300 Road, south of Eudora, Kansas. According to Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister, who provided an update at 3 p.m. Friday, a woman called 911, sounding difficult to understand — possibly due to breathing difficulties — and said she needed help.
A Eudora police officer arrived quickly at the scene. As he approached the door, he heard a gunshot from inside the home and a man’s voice.
Law enforcement made phone contact with a man inside the residence who was described as “hostile” and who threatened to shoot officers. The man barricaded himself inside the home. Armbrister said that while he was confident no other people were in the home, pets were present.
Authorities later deployed a drone, which revealed the body of a deceased woman inside the home. They believe she was the same person who made the 911 call.
Negotiations with the man continued throughout the night, but contact was eventually lost.
Hours later, authorities found the man dead inside the home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The man was reportedly active on social media during the standoff, further complicating the situation. Law enforcement also raised concerns about the possibility of explosives in the home, though they emphasized there was no direct evidence to confirm this.
KMBC’s NewsChopper 9 surveyed the area Friday afternoon, observing more than 15 law enforcement vehicles on the scene.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Lawrence Police Department and other local agencies during the incident.
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