Theft of one cigarette leads to suicide

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2002 | 10:59 a.m.

A man attempting to rob Dear Den's Smoke Shop at 4632 S. Maryland Parkway Tuesday night apparently committed suicide after stealing a single cigarette, Metro Police said.

Initial reports said the man killed himself accidentally when his weapon went off while he was trying to escape over a wall.

A robbery alarm brought police to the business about 7:50 p.m., police said, and officers found the body of a man with a gunshot wound in the head.

Robbery Lt. Ted Snodgrass said this morning the man walked into the smoke shop with a sawed-off .22 shotgun and robbed the clerk of one pack of Kool cigarettes. He opened the pack, took out one cigarette, put the pack on the counter and exited.

He started smoking and shot himself, Snodgrass said.

The Clark County coroner's office did not release the man's name, pending notification of his family.

archive