HAMILTON, Ohio — A body was recovered from a Hamilton house that was set on fire after a man barricaded himself in the home and repeatedly fired a weapon Friday, the Hamilton Police Department said.
Police said Monday that a deceased individual was located on the third floor of the home in the 200 block of Eaton Avenue while officers searched once the fire was extinguished. The Butler County Coroner's Office identified the body found as 28-year-old Joseph Eaton.
The body's discovery came after dispatch was alerted to two brothers who were seen fighting in front of a house at Elvin Avenue and Eaton Avenue around 6:50 p.m. Friday. When police arrived on scene, they found one brother in the front yard suffering from severe injuries.
Police said family members warned officers that the other brother inside the house had been drinking and may have had guns and ammunition inside the house.
Officers entered the house and called out to the suspect, who fired eight to nine gunshots, causing officers to retreat outside, police said.
About an hour after officers retreated from the house, smoke was seen billowing from it, and flames spread to the roof and third floor.
Fire crews arrived at the scene and battled the flames, but they were unable to enter the residence as ammunition was firing off in the heat.
Around 8 p.m., more gunshots were fired in the house, leading police to issue a shelter-in-place alert to nearby residents.
The fire was eventually extinguished around 11 p.m., police said.
Hamilton police said it's working with the Butler County Coroner's Office, the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office and the Hamilton Fire Department. The investigation into the cause and circumstances of the fire remains ongoing.
