Harnett County deputies shot and killed an armed man near Johnsonville early Thursday morning, the sheriff's office said. Curtis Roy Young, 40, died in a hospital after the shooting.

Young's family members called the sheriff's office at about 12:38 a.m. to report he was walking down Highway 27 West armed with a rifle and "suffering from a mental episode," the sheriff's office said.

Deputies found Young on the road near a Dollar General store, according to the sheriff's office. The shooting happened in a largely rural area of southern Harnett County, just north of Fort Bragg.  

"Attempts to deescalate the situation were unsuccessful," the sheriff's office said, and the deputies shot Young. It's not clear just what led up to the shooting.

Young was pronounced dead at a hospital early Thursday.

The sheriff's office said the two deputies involved are on administrative leave as the State Bureau of Investigation looks into the shooting. It is standard procedure for the SBI to investigate when a deputy or officer shoots someone.