Family has identified the man who was shot by police Friday in his Crystal home.

Ronald L. Klitzka was shot after he fired at least one weapon at officers just after 6:30 p.m. in the 5000 block of Angeline Avenue N., authorities said. Klitzka, who was in his early 60s, died at the scene.

"I lost 2 important people in my life in 4 days," a niece, Brenda Lewis, wrote on Facebook in reference to not only Klitzka's death but also the death of his 57-year-old brother, Frederick Klitzka III, a few days earlier. "Rip Freddy & Ronnie ... Why ... why ... why????"

Another niece, Wanda, followed up on Facebook and wrote, "I'm at an absolute loss of words!!!! How does this even happen to a family???"

Police Chief Stephanie Revering and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said in a news media briefing Friday night that Crystal officers, backed up by officers from New Hope and Robbins­dale police, responded to a 911 call about a suicidal man at 5:06 p.m.

They tried to make contact with the man. When they did, he fired at police and they fired back, they said.

According to police emergency dispatch audio, a 911 caller reported that a man was in the house holding two guns to his head. The man said that if police came to the house, he would shoot them through a door and blow the house up, according to the audio.

When officers arrived, he refused to leave the house or put down the weapons, the audio continued. Officers quickly locked down or evacuated nearby homes.

About 6:30, the man began shooting at the officers from inside the garage, the audio reports showed. At 6:33 p.m., they fired back at him, the reports said.

Official identification of Klitzka as the man killed by police was pending as of late Sunday morning.

According to public records, the house has been owned and occupied for about 25 years by Ronald and Nellie Klitzka. The records revealed no criminal history in Minnesota for either.

The emergency dispatch audio indicated that Ronald Klitzka was despondent, partly due to the recent death of his brother. Frederick Klitzka, of Brooklyn Park, died last week.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating at the request of Crystal police, authorities said. They did not say whether the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which generally handles officer-involved shootings, is involved.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482