A man in his 30s shot himself to death as he sat in his car Wednesday morning after crashing through a California Highway Patrol barricade in Castaic.

According to Lt. Mark Hershey of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station, the man, a Castaic resident, told his family he wanted to kill himself, possibly committing “suicide by cop.” He then left his home, taking a gun with him.

The family called the sheriff’s department, which responded to the home and put out a bulletin with a description of the man and the car, a Dodge truck with a ladder attached. No one was with the victim in the car.

The man drove southbound on Interstate 5, entering the freeway at Hasley Canyon around 11:13 a.m., exiting at Newhall Ranch Road and getting back on the freeway, traveling northbound a few minutes later.

At 11:19 a.m., the CHP took over the pursuit, with the man, considered an armed suspect, now traveling in excess of 100 mph going up the grade past Castaic. At 11:24 a.m., he exited the freeway at Templin Highway and traveled along the Ridge Route in the direction of Northlake School. Officers thought he might be headed toward the family home.

At 11:31 a.m., the suspect drove through a paintball park one mile south of Templin Highway, then took a southbound dirt road near Templin that went between the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 5.

The CHP set up a roadblock at The Old Road and Lake Hughes Road, which the suspect broke through, flattening two of his truck tires. At 11:45 a.m., the suspect put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man’s identity has not yet been revealed.

SCVTV-SCVNews Twitter Feed

WED 11:48AM – Armed suspect shot himself in the head. He is dead. CHP shutting roads, Old Road/Lake Hughes Rd area.

WED 11:45AM – Armed suspect holding gun to his head

WED 11:45AM – Armed suspect vehicle has 2 rear flats after breaking thru CHP roadblock on Castaic Rd

WED 11:36AM – Armed suspect vehicle now southbound between north & southbound lanes near Templin

WED 11:31AM – Armed suspect vehicle drove thru or near paintball park, now 1 mile south of Templin

WED 11:24AM – Armed suspect vehicle exited Templin, now on Ridge Rt Rd near Northlake school, probably heading home to Castaic

WED 11:22AM – Family of armed suspect in vehicle – now approaching Templin on north 5 – says he intends suicide by cop

WED 11:19AM – 3 CHP units in pursuit of armed suspect vehicle, doing about 100 mph going up grade north of Castaic

WED 11:17AM – CHP taking over pursuit of armed suspect vehicle on north 5 north of Newhall Ranch Rd

WED 11:15AM – Armed suspect now getting back onto 5 fwy, northbound this time

WED 11:14AM – Armed suspect exiting south 5 at Newhall Ranch Rd, heading into town

WED 11:13AM – Update – Armed suspect got on southbound 5 at Hasley

WED 11AM – Deputies looking for man possibly armed with gun, in vehicle, in Old Road/Parker Road area