A police standoff with a man firing a gun over Interstate 494 in Bloomington ended Thursday evening when the gunman took his own life.

The brief but dramatic incident began at 6:15 p.m. when Bloomington and Richfield police were called to the area of E. 78th Street and S. 2nd Avenue on a report of a man walking around with a gun. As they arrived, police said in a news release, the man moved onto the nearby pedestrian overpass and began firing his gun. It was not clear if he targeted or hit cars on the freeway below.

After about 10 minutes, during which one police officer fired at the man from the bridge's south end, the man climbed over the fence on the bridge, then turned his gun on himself.

His body fell onto the closed roadway. Officers sought to provide lifesaving measures, police said.

No officers were injured in the confrontation. Police said late Thursday that they did not yet know if the man was struck by the officer's gunfire and had no evidence that any motorists, pedestrians or vehicles were struck by gunfire.

Interstate 494 remained closed in both directions late Thursday as investigators worked at the scene. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation will lead the investigation.

Alex Chhith • 612-673-4759