A Catawba County woman is dead after deputies shot her outside her home.

Family members called authorities after they say she threatened to kill herself.

Deputies spent more than three hours collecting evidence from the yard Tuesday afternoon. The shooting happened around 12:30 p.m.

Deputies said they shot and killed 32-year-old Angie Hall after she pointed a handgun at them.

Investigators said her two children, whom she home-schooled, were inside a relative's home next door, about 40 yards away.

For neighbors, it was difficult to learn about the shooting, but they said their thoughts are also with the deputy who fired his gun.

“If people are armed and they present their weapon to the police officer, it kind of puts them in a bad position,” neighbor Charlie Connor said. “You feel sorry for the police officers to be put in that position.”

Investigators said they believe this was a case of self-defense for the deputy, but they will forward their findings to the district attorney once the autopsy is complete.