Contributed Photo/Courtesy LifeNet 10: An elderly Fort Thomas man was flown to a Tucson hospital by a LifeNet-10 helicopter after allegedly shooting himself in his head Saturday.
By Jon Johnson
FORT THOMAS – An elderly man is recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head after apparently attempting to take his own life Saturday.
First responders with the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Thomas Fire Department, and Lifeline Ambulance responded to a residence on Hinton Road in Fort Thomas at about 7:53 a.m. regarding the incident. According to a Sheriff’s Office report, neighbors found the man lying on the ground with a Winchester Model 190 .22 rifle nearby.
One of the neighbors said he covered the man with a blanket to keep warm and that the man told him, “I didn’t do a very good job, did I?”
A deputy and firefighters with Fort Thomas Fire arrived at the scene and noticed the man had apparently taken the rifle and shot himself under his chin. The deputy noted the injuries caused by the gunshot and reported there was no exit wound and that the man’s dentures were found shattered on the ground. By that time, there were numerous bystanders who had come to see what the commotion was about.
The deputy and an EMT with the Fort Thomas Fire Department tended to the injured man until they were relieved by paramedics from Lifeline Ambulance. The medical helicopter LifeNet 10 then arrived at the scene and transported the man to Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, where he underwent surgery. As of Monday, the man was listed as being in stable condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
While at the scene, the deputy interviewed the injured man’s daughter, who had been inside the residence and didn’t hear the shot.
The daughter said she had arrived to live with her father about two weeks ago in an attempt to convince him to move in with her or one of her siblings due to his deteriorating health. She said he had been experiencing numerous problems associated with old age and had become frustrated and depressed he was no longer able to take care of his yard or himself in the custom he was used to.
