A man who police say shot an officer before barricading himself in a Florida apartment killed the four children he had been holding hostage before killing himself, police said Monday.

Orlando police Chief John Mina said at a press conference just before midnight that the suspect, who was identified as 35-year-old Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr., was found dead in a closet when officers entered the apartment nearly 24 hours after the standoff began.

Mina said officers tried to offer one of their phones to Lindsey, whose phone had spotty service, and saw that one of the children had been killed.

Authorities entered the apartment around 9 p.m. hoping to rescue the others but all were found dead.

The children with Lindsey ranged in age from 1 to 11, Mina said. The Orlando Sentinel reports two of them were Lindsey’s children and two belonged to his girlfriend, who called police Sunday.

Officers responding to a domestic violence report were fired upon, police said.

Officer Kevin Valencia was shot and was in critical condition but is expected to survive, Mina said Monday.

One officer was able to return fire, the police chief said.

Valencia is in his late 20s and has been with the police department since 2016, Mina said.

Court records show Lindsey, 35, had an extensive criminal history involving arson, battery and theft. He was on probation for several charges including arson. (AP)

TAGS four children hostages killed Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr.

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