Three people were killed and two people were injured Saturday morning after a large fire and a police shooting in Baltimore County, Maryland, authorities said.
Residents called 911 about 6:40 a.m. ET to report the blaze and the presence of an armed man in a townhome community in the Woodlawn neighborhood, according to the Baltimore County Police Department. Officers and firefighters arrived and found the armed man outside the burning homes.
Police fatally shot him, police spokesperson Joy Stewart said during a press conference at the scene. The man’s name was not released.
It is not clear how many officers opened fire on him or how the two other individuals died. The officers involved in the shooting and the two victims were not immediately identified.
One of the two people injured during the incidents is in critical condition, police spokesperson Danielle J. Moore told NBC News in an email. The other person is being treated for injuries that aren’t life-threatening.
At one point, two other people were unaccounted for after the fire and shooting. Police have located them.
The two-alarm fire caused the collapse of two homes and heavily damaged a third house, county fire department spokesman Tim Rostkowski said. The blaze was fed by natural gas from the house where the fire initiated. Local gas and electric crews were unable to immediately shut off the gas due to equipment damage.
Crews are working on digging a hole to fully shut off the gas line. Residents can expect to temporarily lose gas service, but authorities said there is “no current threat to the community.”
Firefighters are still searching the scene for possible additional victims, authorities said.