A Cranston, RI, man shot his wife and police before turning the gun on himself, authorities say

A man, later identified as Douglas, threatened his wife and shot her with a handgun inside their home, where he made “homicidal and suicidal statements,” police said.

Cranston Police Chief Col. Michael Winquist told reporters at the scene that Douglas was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year.

In their statement, police said Douglas had since become “increasingly ill.”

Her spouse was able to escape the home and call 911 from a neighbor’s phone, authorities said.

After officers arrived at the property and began setting up a perimeter, Douglas allegedly fired two shots, authorities said. Both bullets missed the police and the bullets were found lodged in a residence across the street, authorities said.

Police evacuated nearby homes and called in the department’s Special Reaction Team, Drone Team and Crisis Negotiation Team. Rhode Island State Police, the State Bomb Squad and police from Warwick, Providence and East Providence provided mutual aid.

“Crisis negotiators attempted to establish contact with the suspect for several hours but were unsuccessful,” police said.

Shortly after midnight, police “were able to break a window and fly a drone inside” the home, at which point they discovered Douglas dead, Winquist told reporters. Several firearms were found near his body, police said.

“Our thoughts are with all of the families affected,” Winquist said in a statement. “The events serve as a stark reminder of the dangers police officers face every day when they respond to calls to protect their fellow citizens.”

Christopher Gavin can be reached at [email protected].