EATON — A local business was forced to close temporarily last Tuesday, May 4, after a male subject died by suicide in its restroom.

According to an Eaton Police Division report prepared by Officer Sean Mackey, Eaton Fire and EMS were dispatched at approximately 6:55 p.m. to Gillman Home Center, 1120 W. Lexington Road, in reference to a “subject down in the restroom.”

Upon arrival at the store, Mackey reported he was directed inside by an employee who was waiting by the door. He was told “that a male subject had locked himself in the bathroom ‘a long time ago’ and had been making a lot of noise but was now silent.”

Mackey reported attempting to open the door, which was locked, before looking under the door and seeing what appeared to be a “dark form on the ground.” As Eaton EMS and Fire arrived on scene, Mackey forced the door open revealing “a male subject lying in the middle of the bathroom.” The subject was found to be deceased.

According to Mackey, an investigation indicated the subject had been in the store for approximately 30 minutes and purchased a razor/box cutter that he used to cut himself. The subject reportedly had purchased another razor and returned it prior to purchasing the razor he later used to kill himself.

According to the report, EPD officers had previous contact with the deceased, following a “suspicious person call” in front of the elementary schools. The subject reportedly told officers at that time he was homeless and “was going to try and get back into the homeless shelter or go to a nearby cousin’s home.”

A warrant for his arrest existed, “but it was not good for pick-up in our area,” according to the report, and he was released without any issues or signs of a problem prior to the incident at Gillman Home Center.

The business remained closed Tuesday afternoon and opened late on Wednesday, May 5, following the incident.

Editor’s Note: As a matter of policy, The Register-Herald does not report on nor identify suicides in most cases. The basic information from last week’s incident is being provided due to its public location and questions surrounding it. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.