Deltona man shoots sister, is then fatally shot by deputies, sheriff's office says

DELTONA, Fla - A Deltona man is dead after deputies were forced to open fire on him following a Christmas Eve disturbance.

According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to a home on Gaucho Circle Tuesday night. The 73-year-old woman said her brother was being "irrational, abusive, and armed with a firearm." The woman was visiting from out of state after the recent death of their mother.

When the sister came out of the house, deputies say her brother, 65-year-old Harvey Cantrell, shot her in the shoulder. The bullet traveled through her head and struck her face. Deputies opened fire at Cantrell, killing him.

The shooting is now under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The deputies who fired their weapons are on administrative leave.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood credited the deputies for acting quickly to save the life of the woman who was shot. She was rushed to Central Florida Hospital in Sanford, where she was later listed in stable condition.

FOX 35 News spoke to neighbors on Christmas. One of them said that "nobody wants something like that to happen on Christmas Eve. It’s just a terrible thing for him and his family. You have to feel bad for them at that point. It’s just a bad stance on his part.”