In what was initially reported as a suicide, 41-year-old Theresa McIntosh was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of her head in her Cheyenne, Wyoming, home on March 7, 2026. Responding to the scene, Laramie County Sheriff's deputies found McIntosh unconscious but still breathing. She was quickly transported to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to a hospital in Colorado, where she died from her injuries the following day.
The investigation took a sharp turn as
hospital staff noted that the location of the wound was not consistent with a self-inflicted injury. Suspicion then fell upon her 14-year-old son, Havoc Leone, who was present in the home at the time of the shooting. Under questioning, Leone's initial account of his mother's death changed, and he eventually admitted to shooting her.
According to court documents, the tragic event was preceded by arguments between Leone and his mother. One source of conflict was a "D" grade Leone had received in math, which had led to a significant fight a week prior to the shooting. During that earlier argument, Leone reportedly stole his mother's 9mm handgun from her vehicle and hid it in his room. On the day of the shooting, another dispute arose over an electronic tablet that Leone was suspected of stealing from one of his mother's house-cleaning clients. During this argument, McIntosh allegedly called her son names, including "thief" and "retarded," which reportedly angered him.
Leone recounted to investigators that while his mother was on the floor of his room doing a puzzle, he retrieved the hidden handgun. He stated that he was angry and felt his mother didn't understand him. He then fired a single shot to the back of her head. Leone's father, who was in the basement playing video games with noise-canceling headphones, heard a "pop" but initially dismissed it. It wasn't until later that he discovered his wife unresponsive and his son nearby, who claimed the gun "just went off."
Havoc Leone was taken into custody on March 10 and has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder. He told investigators that he had thought about killing his mother on previous occasions when she told him to do things he did not want to do. The charge of first-degree murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
