A man took his own life outside the Dallas-area home of a U.S. congresswoman, according to authorities.
Police identified the man as 55-year-old Richard Christian “Chris” Dillard, who they said shot and killed himself around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, outside of Republican Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s home in Irving, Texas.
Dillard, a GOP activist, was the communications director for Van Duyne’s campaign from November 2019 to April 2020, according to his LinkedIn. It listed his current employment as a public affairs officer with the Texas State Guard.
When law enforcement arrived, they found Dillard on the congresswoman’s concrete walkway and a handgun nearby, Robert Reeves, a public information officer for the Irving Police Department, told the Washington Examiner on Thursday.
Police are treating Dillard’s death as a suicide.
“She is shocked and saddened that someone would take their own life. We have no further comment at this time,” Van Duyne’s spokesperson told the local NBC affiliate.
Van Duyne, who was in her home at the time of the shooting with other people, did not witness the man take his life, but they heard the gunshot and quickly alerted police, the spokesperson said. She was participating in a budget meeting with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at the time Dillard died, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Law enforcement does not believe that Van Duyne is in danger, but they have briefed both the FBI and Capitol Police, according to Reeves.
Julie McCarty, CEO of the right-wing group True Texas Project, said she was “devastated” by Dillard’s death and that he was “arguably the most popular activist in the Metroplex and well beyond.”
“I know people will make assumptions and think they know what went wrong,” McCarty said. “I urge you to resist doing that and just celebrate a life well lived.”
