Two Dead After Standoff With St. Tammany Parish Deputies

Update (6:21 PM): St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston has made preliminary determinations based on autopsies of the two men and states that, “Richard Sanderson died of multiple gunshot wounds. The cause of death appears to be homicide. Eric Costello died of a single gunshot wound. The cause of death appears to be suicide."

Richard Sanderson, age 48 and of Mandeville, and Eric Costello, age 67 of Slidell, were both found dead following a standoff with St. Tammany Parish deputies. 

Shortly after 7:30 pm Tuesday (March 28, 2023) the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call with an open line from a residence in 300 block of Lake Village Boulevard near Slidell. Responding deputies attempted to establish contact with someone inside the home. A subject barricaded himself inside the residence, and the SWAT team was dispatched to the scene.

SWAT team members arrived on scene and negotiators made contact with one male inside the home. That individual indicated there had been an exchange of gunfire inside the residence between him and an acquaintance. SWAT team members made entry into the home and discovered two deceased subjects, identified later by St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston as Richard Sanderson, age 48 and of Mandeville, and Eric Costello, age 67 of Slidell.

This is an ongoing investigation, but the initial investigation indicates one of the subjects appears to have sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of everyone involved,” Sheriff Randy Smith said, “and I thank the deputies, SWAT team members, detectives and crime scene technicians who worked throughout the night.”