A tragic incident unfolded in Bexar County when 73-year-old Gary Shelton shot at deputies during a welfare check before taking his own life. The encounter took place on Tuesday around 11:15 a.m. near the intersection of Wayward Trail and Lonesome Trail in the county's far south reaches. As reported by News 4 San Antonio, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Shelton's identity, and his cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, ruled as a suicide.
According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, the deputies were dispatched for a welfare check after a family member expressed concerns over a phone conversation with Shelton, who appeared distraught over a minor vehicle crash. Upon arrival, Shelton, positioned in the front yard, fired shots at the deputies as they emerged from their vehicle, with two bullets striking the patrol car “literally within inches of the passenger deputy's head,” stated Sheriff Salazar in a statement obtained by FOX San Antonio.
The deputies managed to find cover while Shelton went back inside his house, prompting the officers to try and coax him outside using a loudspeaker. The standoff ended when deputies heard a muffled gunshot from within the residence. Sheriff Salazar shared that bodycam footage indicated Shelton was threatening himself with the weapon, despite deputies' pleas for him to drop the gun.
Responding to the scene were a training deputy with a decade of experience and a trainee deputy who had been on patrol for about a month, Sheriff Salazar noted. Both have been placed on administrative leave, which is in line with Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) policy in the event of a deputy-involved shooting. They will remain on administrative duty while, an investigation into the incident ensues. Thankfully, no other injuries were reported in the standoff.
