Tragic Incident Near Walhalla Thursday

Counseling services are being made available to members of the Oconee Sheriff’s Office and Walhalla Police who were present when a man took his own life early Thursday. According to officials, deputies were called to a domestic incident at a home near Walhalla, which led to a traffic stop in the parking lot of a local store that was closed at the time. Reports from authorities stated that the man, at one point, retreated to his vehicle, grabbed a gun and pointed it at himself. Officers at the scene tried to talk to the man and negotiate with him, but he unfortunately shot himself. The man was taken to a Greenville hospital where he passed away about two hours later. No shots were fired by law enforcement officers.