A 29-year-old Iola woman killed herself early Tuesday after barricading herself and her three children in her home for more than three hours, with law enforcement outside.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported the incident, which started just before 10 p.m. Monday.
Friends of Briana Heistand saw a disturbing photo of the woman threatening suicide via social media and called the Iola Police Department.
Officers responded to Heistands home in the 600 block of North First Street, and then requested assistance from the KBI around 10:30 p.m.
The KBIs high risk warrant team responded. Negotiators made repeated attempts to convince Heistand to come out of the house. The children were asleep in another area of the house.
The standoff ended at about 1:25 a.m. Tuesday when the woman shot herself. KBI agents immediately entered the house and secured the children while ambulance personnel administered medical aid to the woman.
Heistand was taken to Allen County Regional Hospital, where she was declared dead Tuesday afternoon, Iola Police Chief Jared Warner said.
