CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — Cary police said one man died after more than 20 hours of crisis negotiations, and his 11-year-old son is expected to recover. 

Cary and Raleigh police, the FBI and Wake County deputies were out outside of the Windsor at Tryon Village Apartments since 11 p.m. on Tuesday night. 

Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said an 11-year-old boy was held hostage by his father. 

They believe the man was suffering from a mental health crisis.

Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said hundreds of people worked to negotiate the release of the 11-year-old boy. He had minor gunshot wounds but is expected to recover. Police are still investigating if the injuries were intentionally or unintentionally afflicted.

“The negotiators did a remarkable job with securing his release and then they did another remarkable job in trying to work with this individual with caring, with understanding,” Sult said.

Sult said the ultimate outcome of the negotiations was “heartbreaking” as the man killed himself in the apartment before officers went in Wednesday night.

“I have no other words to express the problems that we face with mental illness in this country,” Sult said. “We really need to pay attention to the mental health issues that are going on in this country and we need to look at the way that the mentally ill are lacking the treatment that they so desperately need.”

Police said people who were evacuated for their safety are now allowed back into their homes.

During the standoff, a SWAT team, police officers and deputies, armed with long guns, walked around the apartment complex.

A mobile command center was set up at the La-Z-Boy furniture on Walnut Street. 

The large police presence was active for more than 15 hours outside of Jay Smith’s home.

“It’s scary,” he said.

Cary police said they got a call to do a welfare check at an apartment Tuesday night due to some family concerns. 

Smith left his house Wednesday morning and was not able to get back.

“That turned into a hostage situation with a juvenile hostage an individual in crisis,” Sult said. “The building, 4000, which was the place it happened, they evacuated everybody out of there,” Smith said.

Officers blocked the entrance to and from the complex for their safety.

“My wife is locked in the apartment. I kept calling her, letting her know ‘you’re ok, they’ve surrounded the building,’” Smith said.

Nearly 12 hours after the initial welfare check, officers were able to rescue the 11-year-old boy. 

“He has two wounds. One on his arm, one on his neck,” Sult said. “They’re minor injuries.”

Police and EMS Radio Traffic provided more details.

“Is an officer with you?” a dispatcher is heard asking an official on scene. “Can you or the officer ask the child what kind of weapon he was shot with?”

“He said it was a rifle,” said the official, on the radio.

The FBI took over negotiations with the male suspect 10 hours after Cary police started. 

Sult said school buses dropped off students at a different location in the afternoon. Parents were informed of the changes and were accompanied by police officers. 

Officials said they used Wake Government emergency management notifications to alert people in the complex.

No one who CBS 17 spoke with received the messages.