14-Hour Standoff: Man Arrested After Allegedly Holding Parents Hostage and Making Threats

A Wisconsin man is facing charges after allegedly threatening to kill his parents and engaging in a tense 14-hour standoff with police, during which he is said to have declared he “would kill everyone.”

Vance Lee, aged 33, is charged with several offenses, including resisting an officer’s attempt to take him into custody, disorderly conduct, endangerment by using a dangerous weapon, and ten counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, as per jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by local Fox affiliate WITI, the incident unfolded on March 27 and 28 at Lee’s parents’ residence near 68th Street and West Brentwood Avenue in Milwaukee. Lee allegedly threatened his parents, brandishing a rifle and handgun as he descended the stairs and threatened to shoot them.

At one point, Lee reportedly called his brother, ominously stating, “We are all dying today.”

Authorities have reported that Lee’s parents confined themselves to their bedroom out of fear for their safety. They recounted to police that Lee had warned he “would kill everyone” and planned to hide in the basement, ready for any police arrival.

The parents made clear that they loved their son but could not handle his threats, the court document added.

On March 28, at about 8:45 a.m., police were dispatched to the home. Though law enforcement demanded that Lee exit, he allegedly would not come out, barricaded the home, and even used a shotgun to shoot down a drone from the house’s second floor.

The standoff continued into the night, and photos from the area TV station showed authorities deploying tear gas into the residence and parking at least one armored vehicle outside.

About 14 hours after the standoff began, at approximately 10:20 p.m. that night, Lee surrendered. Authorities reportedly found inside the home a shotgun, four rifles, five handguns, body armor, and 800 rounds of ammunition.

Lee allegedly admitted to drinking and smoking meth in the recent past. He was booked into jail and ordered to be held on $50,000 bond.

The defendant is set to appear in court on April 7.