By Sara Beth Williams–
A man died from a gunshot wound in the neighborhood of the 8000 block of Butternut Drive, Citrus Heights Police confirmed Wednesday.
Citrus Heights Police said in a press release Wednesday evening that they are investigating the death of a man who they believe committed suicide.
Police officers responded to a residence on Wednesday afternoon just after 1 p.m. regarding a male found dead on the side of a house. Officers arrived on the scene and located an adult male lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Police said officers conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area and confirmed there is no threat to the public. After preliminary investigation, detectives determined that the gunshot wound had been self-inflected, Investigators believe this is an isolated incident.]
Police presence was heavy in the area of Butternut Drive and Lichen Drive, where the two intersect, for several hours in the afternoon, with at least one helicopter heard overhead. Neighbors who live on the same street said they witnessed a BearCat vehicle and SWAT personnel, along with multiple police cruisers.
During the investigation, Citrus Heights Police blocked off Butternut Drive at Lichen Drive until Oakmyrtle Way and also blocked off Buttonwood Way at Oakmyrtle Way. It’s unknown when road closures will lift.
Weslee Valentine and his mom, Cindy Valentine, who spoke to The Sentinel on scene, said they live a couple doors down. The Valentines said they were home all day and did not hear anything suspicious, such as gunshots, due to the heavy noise caused by freeway traffic just on the other side of the sound wall, which runs along Lichen Drive and Butternut Drive.
Valentine said the man who lived in the house was a friendly Hispanic man who liked to walk up and down the street to exercise. Valentine did not know if anyone else lived in the home.
Other neighbors who live nearby reported they might have heard something that sounded like a gunshot but said it could have been the sound of a firework or the backfire of a truck and were not able to confirm the noise.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.
Anyone experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide is encouraged to seek immediate assistance by calling or texting 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, where trained counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
