Residents of Mayo are shaken and tired, but ultimately relieved today after an all-night stand-off between police and an armed man ended peacefully this morning.

Mayo RCMP received word that a man was standing on his porch with a rifle at approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Upon hearing shots fired, the police cordoned off the area surrounding the house and instructed neighbours to leave their homes until the situation was resolved.

Volunteer firefighters and ambulance attendents were on the scene through the night, along with RCMP negotiators and an RCMP emergency response team flown in from British Columbia.

Mary McMahon, a councillor with the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, told the Star today she heard about the situation at around 8 p.m. Tuesday, then heard a shot fired an hour later.

She briefly went to the scene and reported that "it didn't feel tense or out of control, but you know what runs through your mind - the safety of the people around and the safety of the person in the house.

"It was scary, not knowing who was shooting, if someone was hurt, or what," she said.

McMahon said she heard three more shots at around midnight, but again, did not know who had fired them.

Police said today they could not confirm who had fired the shots until their investigation into the matter is complete.

At 8:00 this morning, the 42-year old Mayo man peacefully surrendered himself to the police.

Although no physical injuries were reported, McMahon said she and her neighbours will need time to recover.

She was one of only a handful of people in the first nation office this morning, and said many others in the community of 248 people had taken the day off.

"I guess it brings back bad memories for some people," she said. "We don't have any counsellors in town; that's what we really need right now."

McMahon said the man who was arrested is known to be depressed and in need of help.

"This is one of our own," she said.

"A person struggling with life's problems and not having the support to work it out - it is something we see too often."

Na-Cho-Nyak Dun released a statement this morning announcing a mental health and wellness conference beginning next week.

It notes that Mayo has not had a full-time social worker or probation officer for several years.

According to an RCMP press release, no charges will be laid until a full investigation has been completed.

The man's name has not been released.