Elderly man calls the police, shoots self

By Leslie Wood
Staff writer

GALLUP — A 79-year-old Gallup man shot himself to death in a local alleyway as police walked toward him Sunday morning.

The man was identified as Ronald Daly, Sgt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo, a spokeswoman for the Gallup Police Department, said.

Metropolitan Dispatch received a report of gunshots fired at the 200 Block of West Lincoln Avenue at about 7 a.m. When an officer and new recruit arrived at the scene to investigate the report, they saw a man sitting in a chair in the alleyway. He was armed with a revolver.

Before officers could talk with the man, he shot himself in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene and was later identified as Daly. A letter asking officials to not resuscitate him was discovered beside Daly’s body.

Toadlena-Pablo said officers suspect Daly was the caller who initially reported the gunshots.