William Hardison Sr had been due to be evicted from his home in the Pittsburgh suburb of Garfield on Wednesday 23 August. When sheriff’s deputies showed up at around 11am to serve the eviction order, the 63-year-old opened fire sparking an hours-long lockdown of the neighbourhood. Armed officers from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh police, the FBI and SWAT crews descended on the densely populated area in the northeast of the city. Hundreds of shots were fired across several hours in exchanges between Hardison and law enforcement officers, as neighbours’ homes were peppered with bullets. The dramatic stand-off ended just after 5pm, when Pittsburgh Public Safety announced the gunman had been pronounced dead. Police later confirmed they had killed him with “deadly force”. According to family members, Hardison had believed he owned the house at the centre of the eviction order. It had previously belonged to his brother, who died recently, and been sold to a private firm, family said. Hardison was reportedly also a so-called “sovereign citizen”, who believed that he was not bound by federal or state laws. What we know about the shooting At a press conference after on Wednesday afternoon, Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus said that seven deputies had gone to serve the eviction notice at a property on the 4800 block of Broad Street and North Mathilda Street. The deputies tried to talk to Hardison to bring him out of the house, but he refused, according to the sheriff. “We tried to make contact, we were outside the house, called for him, tried to bring him out peacefully to execute the order but clearly that was not on the cards today.” Mr Kraus said the suspect had fired from first and second floor windows, and through walls at the deputies. “It was a pretty lengthy gun battle,” Mr Kraus said. “We certainly did not expect this, we had no information that this individual was this dangerous.” Authorities declared an “active shooter” situation. Neighbours barricaded themselves in their homes as shots rang out around the street. One told CBS News that shots had came through her living room window and bathroom, leaving shattered glass “everywhere”. Police repeatedly shot tear gas into the home, and placed drones above the property, but two or three were shot down by the suspect, Mr Kraus said. “He had a lot of ammunition in that house, we were all strapped with ammunition but all had to call for more ammunition. We tried to give him every opportunity to come out but it elevated to the SWAT team’s response.” Shortly before 5pm, CBS News reported that the gunman had been spotted injured in the house by a drone. Hardison was pronounced dead at 5.08pm, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. The shooting forced the postponement of Pittsburgh’s City in the Streets event. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting. What his family are saying A family member was called to the scene of the shooting by police at about 3pm in an attempt to negotiate with Hardison, CBS News reported. He returned about an hour later in tears looking “devastated”, according to witnesses. William Hardison Sr’s son, who is also called William Hardison, had earlier pleaded with his father to “stand down”. William Hardison Jr told WTAE he and his family had been trying to get hold of his father all day. Addressing his father directly as the stand-off was unfolding, he said: “Hey dad please surrender, please give up. You have children and grandchildren who love you dearly. Please stand down.” He described his father as “a very stern individual”. “He’s a man’s man. When he believes in something, he’s going to fight tooth and nail for something.” Mr Hardison Jr said his father believed he owned the house. “My uncle passed away, he only had a few more years left to pay on the house. So why would they close on something for $25,000 when hundreds of thousands of dollars had been put into the house?” According to Action News, the property was sold to a company called 907 East Street. A judge issued an eviction notice for it last week. What we know about the suspect Hardison Sr had a lengthy criminal past. Public records show he had been convicted of carrying a firearm without a licence, forgery, harassment, and an accident involving death or injury. Sources told WTAE he identified as a “sovereign citizen”, which meant he did not believe he had to respect laws or pay taxes. Sovereign citizens are extremists who have been linked to the murder of police officers, fraud, and ant-government scams, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Sovereigns hold truly bizarre, complex, antigovernment beliefs that are rooted in racism and anti-Semitism,” the watchdog group states. “They believe they get to decide which laws to obey and which to ignore, and they don’t think they should have to pay taxes. They participate in protests against governments or use ‘paper terrorism’ – filing bogus lawsuits and fake liens on properties – to carry out their mission of disorder. Sometimes, they get violent.” Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto addressed the suspect’s links to the movement during Wednesday’s press conference. He said police do not have any information about Hardison Sr being a sovereign citizen “but I’m sure we will uncover a lot about the suspect and his associations as we move forward.” Read More Pittsburgh shooting suspect dead after police shootout over eviction notice in Garfield neighbourhood: Live updates Police defend ‘deadly force’ as Pittsburgh active shooter is killed during hours-long standoff Police respond to ‘active shooter’ in Pittsburgh as ‘hundreds of rounds’ fired in Garfield neighbourhood

Rex Heuermann arrested on July 13 for allegedly killing women while Joel Rifkin denies Gilgo Beach involvement

Drake defended his pink manicure after facing criticism from social media users including Andrew Tate

Chelsea are exploring a potential January move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

Growing up on the border between Mexico and the United States, Becky G spoke English, but sang corridos, boleros and mariachi in Spanish

Russia’s Gazprom PJSC said its natural gas deliveries to China have hit a new historic high amid rising

The new women of 'RHONY' ensued drama in typical rich New Yorker fashion as they were off to the Hamptons

Wednesday Addams is the Halloween costume you don’t want to miss out on this year. From her dark braids to her panged makeup, the classic gory-loving adolescent girl is the ideal character to assume on the spookiest day of the year. Why? First crafted from the mind of cartoonist Charles Addams, then reimagined in the world of Tim Burton, Jenna Ortega became the “Queen of Creepy” last year when the Netflix series Wednesday quickly became one of the most watched across the globe for the streaming service. Wednesday’s gothic garments mirror her affinity for immoral behaviour and her inherent gloom. Her crisp collars and black ties are codes for what is typically referred to as “ivy-style”, with each suit stitched for the structure of a poised young woman – a contradiction to her otherwise raven-like characteristics and thirst for danger. Not only does Wednesday’s clean uniform aptly juxtapose her morose character, but it’s also very easy to recreate from what you already own in your wardrobe, or could find for cheap. Looking back at the eight-episode thriller, there’s only a few items needed to become the murder-solving Wednesday who’s captured everyone’s attention for the past year. Here’s some outfit options to embody the character of Wednesday Addams for Halloween. The classic schoolgirl Wednesday’s not someone to leave much up to chance. Her routine is consistent – minus the bloody extracurriculars and urge to break rules. However, the psychic prodigy is mainly seen in her Nevermore Academy uniform throughout the show. Just like any school uniform, the get-up consists of a fitted jacket, white button-down, black tie, grey sweater vest, long skirt, and loafers. Most of these items can be found at your local thrift store, if they’re not already hanging in your closet. Don’t worry about colour, Wednesday doesn’t care much for it. If you want to incorporate accessories that fully channel Wednesday’s character, buy a pair of chunky loafers ($70), sew a Nevermore patch ($14.90) onto your pinstripe jacket pocket, make sure your skirt is the same print as the coat, and get yourself a button-down with a long-pointed collar ($13.99). The polka-dot dress A misty cloud was enveloped around Wednesday from the very beginning. Even before she swapped public high school for a school dedicated to the supernatural, Wednesday stuck to dark colours. The polka-dot dress Ortega wore in the very first episode spoke volumes for her character. Walking through the halls and headed straight for the pool, with bags of piranhas ready to eat the flesh of her brother Pugsley’s bullies, Wednesday donned a long black dress with white polka-dots scattered all over. The garment was layered over her trademark sharp collar, and of course, her black tresses were pulled in two tight braids – never to be messed with. If you’re feeling lazy and aren’t up for the second-hand hunt, Amazon’s replica of Wednesday’s dress ($29.99) comes with both the top garment and long-sleeve undershirt. The fair Keeping with her consistent colour palette of black and white, the gifted teenager only swapped her pinstripe Nevermore ensemble for another print on her days off from school. Luckily, embodying Wednesday’s character outside of school is straightforward and effortless if you have black and white mixed into your clothing collection. All you need is a pair of black trousers, platform loafers, a black utility jacket, and a sweater with some monochrome embroidery. To match Wednesday’s look she donned at the fair – where she encountered the hyde for the first time – grab a gray hoodie and striped sweater. Since Wednesday is a girl of habit, most of her out-of-class outfits include variations of the black and white knitwear, like this checkered scoop neck sweater ($41.96). The school dance gown It’s a rarity to see Wednesday with her guard down, following her heart instead of her head. Even when she does, the character’s self-confidence never wavers. Wednesday knows who she is and what she likes, which is why she knew the perfect dress for Nevermore’s dance when she saw it in the window of an old antique store. The chiffon belted gown with a multi-layered skirt, sheer neckline, and buttoned black collar perfectly represented Wednesday’s desire to step out of her comfort zone while still staying true to who she is. It’s the kind of eerie elegance made for a night like Halloween. You can try and find a layered tulle skirt, black belt, and transparent button-up with a black bodice, or you can purchase the exact dress ($28.22). Either way, make sure your hair is pinned in two braids and wrapped around the top of your head. Find an opaque purple lip stain and dot some fake freckles over the bridge of your nose for Wednesday’s shadow-like makeup. If you’re really feeling crazy, switch on “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps and give your friends a taste of Wednesday’s ominous dance moves. Read More Halloween pumpkins – how to grow your own From a house party to a movie night, Halloween celebrations that don’t involve going out How to dress like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for Halloween 2023 11 best kids’ Halloween outfits that will scare and delight 9 best horror stories to read this Halloween and beyond Kourtney Kardashian’s skeletons and other celebrity inspiration for Halloween

Matthew Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 4.9 seconds left, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots to cap off a brilliant series, and the Florida Panthers earned their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 27 years by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 to win the Eastern Conference title in a sweep

Recent shark bites in Florida and Hawaii and a suspected case in New Jersey have piqued interest in the age-old summer question of whether it's safe to go in the water

By Jarrett Renshaw As Republican presidential hopefuls converge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for their first debate Wednesday evening, an

Airbnb “horror stories” are a genre unto themselves