Firefighters and police talk about apparent father-son suicides in Mentone

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - Firefighters and police were trying to stop a house fire on Monday night when they found out the home appeared to be the scene of a double suicide that began earlier that afternoon.

The chain of events took place between 12:30 and 11:30 p.m. Monday at a home outside of Mentone.

"It has an impact," Mentone Fire Chief, Mike Yazel, said.  "We're going to do a counseling session with fire and EMS."

Yazel graduated the same year at Tippecanoe Valley High School as David Lowry.

"You get used to a lot of it in a sense I guess," he said.  "But it's always hard operating in a community you live in.  You basically know the people."

Initial signs indicate David Lowry killed himself shortly after a fire began at his home.  The fire is still under investigation, but some family possessions were already saved when fire crews got to the scene.

"There were valuables in the care," Yazel said.  "There were several items in the yard, kind of in a circle in the center of the yard."

The fire was fully engulfed when crews got there.  Yazel said half of the home had already collapsed into the basement, and the remaining part collapsed a few minutes later.

Earlier in the day, Lowry's 18-year-old son was found at the home.

"Shortly before 12:30, we actually received a call at the residence," Sgt. Chad Hill of the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, said.  "He had possibly suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Hill said police and family members made sure Lowry was okay and offered several counseling services.

"He flatly denied he had any suicidal thoughts or intentions," Hill said.

The cause of death for both men still has to be determined by the Kosciusko County Coroner's office.