An armed 64-year-old man was shot and killed by members of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team after he barricaded himself in a building in Brooksville.
HCSO Community Relations Manager Denise Moloney said that just before 5 p.m. on Feb. 17, HCSO deputies and personnel from the Hernando County Fire and Emergency Services (HCFES) responded to a call about a structure fire at 9139 Erma Rd. in Brooksville.
Just after the fire report was received, callers also reported that someone in or near the same property was an active shooter and that at least two people had been shot.
At the scene, deputies and members of the HCFES crew saw thick black smoke coming from the rear of the property and heard gunfire from somewhere there or nearby.
Meanwhile, a female victim self-evacuated from the scene and was subsequently taken by ambulance to a nearby trauma center for treatment.
She was treated for a gunshot wound and released from the hospital, Moloney said.
A man was found down on the property, but HCSO and HCEFS crews could not reach him because the shooter was present.
HCSO SWAT and Crisis Response Trams were sent to the scene, where Crisis Team Members attempted to talk with the shooter, who was identified as Steve John Roosa, 64.
While Roosa refused to communicate with them, members of the HCSO SWAT Team rescued the male victim and brought him to an ambulance waiting nearby, which took him to a local trauma center for treatment.
That man remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, Moloney said.
The SWAT Team then entered the residence and deployed chemical agents there.
Roosa, who was still in possession of at least one firearm, left the building by its front door.
“Members of the SWAT Team, fearing for their own safety, as well as the safety of others, fired at Roosa,” Moloney said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
No deputies were injured in the incident.
The incident is under investigation by the HCSO, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
“The FDLE will handle the deputy-involved shooting and will release any information when it is appropriate to do so,” Moloney said.
The HCSO will handle the criminal investigation, she said.
