AMHERST COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE:
10 News spoke to a neighbor who knew the victim, 58 year-old Brian Leisenring, and she said she was heartbroken.
“Brian was a good person, and unfortunately he had to lose his life... I’m heartbroken,” Jennifer Wood, a neighbor of Leisenring, said.
The 58-year-old’s body was found dead in a home on Overlook Drive in the Madison Heights area of Amherst County.
Inside the home they found the suspect, Thomas Ericson, Wood said the two were roommates and that they would get into arguments.
“Brian would always say Tom was not well and they would argue,” Wood said.
Wood would share holiday meals with Leisenring and she even adopted his dog Gigi.
Tonight Wood is hoping for answers and justice. “Nobody’s life should end that way.” she said.
UPDATE
A welfare check in Amherst County resulted in one death and one arrest overnight.
Deputies responded to Overlook Drive, Madison Heights for a welfare check on a man who they say hadn’t been heard from in three days. Amherst County Sheriff Jimmy Ayers said that as soon as they arrived, they immediately came under fire. They said they turned off their patrol lights to use the darkness as cover in order to determine where the shots were coming from.
Authorities said once they made it inside, they found one man dead, and one alive.
ACSO said the man was identified as 69-year-old Thomas Ericson. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with three counts of attempted aggravated murder of a law enforcement officer. Ericson is currently being held in Blue Ridge Regional Jail without bond. Additional charges are pending.
The deceased individual was identified as 58-year-old Brian Leisenring.
Sheriff Ayers has thanked all parties who insisted with the investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY
10 News is working for you to learn more about a manhunt that is currently underway in Amherst County.
Multiple jurisdictions including the Lynchburg Police Department and the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office are searching for a suspect.
Drones and other tactical units are present on the scene but details are limited at this time.
The media is currently waiting for a statement from law enforcement about the cause of the search and who authorities are looking for.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.