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Standoff ends after man armed with AR-15 barricaded himself in Lemon Grove home

An hours-long SWAT standoff ended in the Lemon Grove area after a suspect fired shots in the direction of a neighbor with an AR-15, according to deputies.

LEMON GROVE, Calif. — A seven-hour SWAT standoff in Lemon Grove has ended with the suspect in custody.

Reports of a shooting at a Lemon Grove home led to an hours-long SWAT standoff with a man suspected of shooting at his neighbors Thursday morning. 

Authorities were called to the 8000 block of  Longdale Drive in Lemon Grove following reports of a shooting before 8 am. 

When law enforcement arrived, they discovered a 28-year-old man barricaded inside a home. 

Officials contacted the suspect and tried convincing the man to surrender peacefully. Deputies said there may be more firearms in the home, and he has mental health needs. 

As a precaution, deputies evacuated eight homes, and the nearby Lemon Grove Early Childhood Education Center was placed on lockdown. 

Skyline Drive between Longdale Drive and Palm Street was closed as deputies responded to this incident.

CBS 8 was told the suspect is a former military veteran and that he was believed to be armed with an AR-15.

A neighbor who the suspect shot was wounded from bullet fragments and is being treated. She is expected to survive her injuries and fully recover.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department said the neighbor was the only one hurt in the shooting. The mother of the suspect managed to leave the home safely.

"If the suspect is watching the news or reading this release, we ask that you work with and trust the person you are talking to on the phone. They are trying to help you. They want to get you to a safe place," San Diego Sheriff's Department said.

The suspect eventually walked out of the house and surrendered without further incident after deputies used chemical agents.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department tweeted that Mental Health Clinicians with the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) will evaluate the man before he is booked into San Diego Central Jail. He is expected to face 3 counts of attempted murder charges.

The hours-long standoff came to an end around 3:09 p.m. Thursday.

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