The case began inside a family home before police, negotiators and SWAT officers surrounded the residence.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Two parents told police they locked themselves in a bedroom out of fear after their son allegedly armed himself, threatened to shoot them and warned his brother during a call, “We are all dying today.”
The account is at the center of a Milwaukee County criminal case against Vance Lee, 33, who is accused of turning a family dispute into a nearly 14-hour standoff with police. Prosecutors charged Lee on April 2 after officers said he refused to leave the home near 68th Street and West Brentwood Avenue, fired at a police drone and surrendered only after gas was deployed inside.
According to the complaint, the parents said Lee came downstairs with a rifle and a handgun during the March 27 and March 28 episode. They told investigators he threatened to shoot and kill them and said he would be ready in the basement if police arrived. The parents said they stayed in their bedroom because they feared leaving could put them in danger. Lee also allegedly called two friends to the house and told his parents he would shoot them if they left the room.
Family members told investigators the dispute began after Lee was accused of taking pots and pans from the kitchen. Police have not said why that accusation led to the alleged threats. The complaint says the parents made clear to officers that they loved their son, even as they said they could no longer handle the repeated threats. Investigators wrote that both parents appeared fearful and nervous when they described what had happened inside the home.
Officers were dispatched around 8:44 a.m. March 28. Lee allegedly ignored commands to come outside and barricaded himself in the house. As the hours passed, police brought in SWAT officers, armored vehicles and crisis negotiators. A police drone was sent into the residence, but prosecutors said Lee fired a shotgun from the second floor and disabled it. The standoff continued into the night, with officers working to end it without reported injuries.
Lee surrendered around 10:19 p.m. after officers deployed gas in the residence. During a later search, investigators said they recovered one shotgun, four rifles, five handguns, five suppressors or suppressor parts, about 27 magazines, body armor and roughly 800 rounds of ammunition. Police said Lee admitted he had been drinking and smoking meth for two days. They also said he admitted barricading the home and firing a shotgun inside during the standoff.
The charges filed against Lee include 10 counts of possession of a firearm by an out-of-state felon. Prosecutors say a prior felony burglary conviction in California made it illegal for him to possess guns. He also faces charges of failure to comply with an officer, disorderly conduct with use of a dangerous weapon, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, criminal damage to property with use of a dangerous weapon and possession of firearm silencers.
A judge set Lee’s bond at $50,000 and ordered him not to possess firearms, dangerous weapons or body armor. Court conditions also included drug testing. The next step in the case was a preliminary hearing listed for April 7, where prosecutors would begin moving the felony case forward.
Author note: Last updated Monday, April 27, 2026.