At least one person was shot after a gunman randomly started shooting in a Branford, Connecticut, neighborhood. When officers responded, they came under heavy fire from the upper floor of a nail salon with an apartment above it.

The officers were forced to take cover and remained pinned down by the shooter until armored BearCat vehicles arrived at the scene.

The Branford Police Department confirmed that one person was shot and taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Multiple agencies have responded, and residents have been evacuated as authorities try to negotiate with the shooter. According to WTNH, the bomb squad has been called because the suspect threatened to blow up the building he is in.

After nearly seven hours, police said the building was cleared and allowed residents to return to their homes. The Branford Police Department said that the shooter was found deceased inside the home.

“The barricaded suspect has been founded deceased within the building. It is very early in this investigation and there are several crime scenes. The New Haven State’s Attorney is on-scene and Connecticut State Police Major Crimes will be processing the scenes. We appreciate the patience and support of the community during this critical incident. Many thanks to the Branford Fire Department and our area law enforcement partners for their assistance," the department said in a statement.

A 16-year-old witness who was riding his bike near the scene told WFSB that he saw a man armed with a rifle.

"I was riding my bike over to the green, and I saw the cop car in front of me turn around, and the guy came out with his rifle, and the guys at Shelly's Garden Shop pulled me inside, and we were there for 15-20 minutes," Jacob Oslin said.

He told the news station he was evacuated from the area by police in an armored vehicle.

Photo: Getty Images

Greg Kretschmar

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