Timothy Maher, a disability judge at a downtown Miami Social Security Administration office, held three hostages for about 10 hours Friday inside a home in south Miami-Dade County before fatally shooting himself with a rifle after a standoff with police.

Maher allegedly held family members hostage and threatened the mother of his child with a rifle.

Miami-Dade police Detective Christopher Thomas told the Miami Herald that messages sent by someone inside the house said, “Help,” and, “We need help.”