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In a tragic incident in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, a man holding a child hostage was shot and killed by deputies early Friday morning. The incident began when deputies responded to a disturbance with weapons call at a residence in Boiling Springs. A child inside the house had called 911, reporting that her father was armed with both a rifle and a shotgun and threatening to harm someone in the house as well as himself.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies made contact with another man inside the house who confirmed the situation. He informed them that there were several other children in the house. Despite their attempts to communicate with the man, they were unsuccessful. Eventually, all but one child were able to escape the house through a window, while the man continued to go in and out of the house with a rifle, holding the remaining child hostage and pointing the gun at the hostage, deputies, and himself.
In defense of the hostage and themselves, deputies eventually shot the man, identified as 42-year-old Somchan Dan Somsanith. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fortunately, no deputies were injured during the incident. Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright expressed relief that none of their deputies or hostages were hurt, but also acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. The shooting has left the neighborhood shaken, as residents awoke to the sound of gunshots and expressed their fear and concern.
The incident is currently being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. While the loss of life is always tragic, the deputies involved acted in defense of innocent lives and their own safety..
