The 911 calls came one after another, first reporting a fire at 3358 Rand Street in Kensington, then a man with a gun at the same location.
As flames ripped through the second floor arriving, firefighters discovered a man on the first floor.
"The fire board and police see a man down on the living room floor with a gunshot wound believed to the head," explained Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross.
But before the victim could be moved, a man with a gun appears at the top of the stairs in the burning house, and starts throwing items at first responders.
"Police engage the man, tell him to drop gun; he does not do so. At some point in time, we believe he raised the gun, our officers discharged several times at him, but because of the smoke they were forced to leave property," said Deputy Commissioner Ross.
Police exit, but the gunman remains, the fire burns for hours. Swat officers take up positions should the gunman bolt.
It is believed that the man who confronted police never left the burning row house.
"We are reasonably confident that he is on the second floor, and that he was a victim of the fire, and that the roof of the property has collapsed in the location where we believe he would be," explained Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan.
Detectives began investigating before the fire was out. But neither police nor neighbors could identify the gunshot victim or gunman.
The roof and the second floor walls were so badly damaged by the fire that L and I experts have been called in to analyze the situation.
The safety assessment will have to be done first before any recovery efforts can continue.