In the winter of 2019, the community of Cottonwood, Arizona, was unsettled by the public death of one of its residents. On the afternoon of February 5th, 74-year-old Lloyd Wingfield, a male resident of the town, ended his own life in a place dedicated to public safety. Earlier that day, a concerned family member had reached out to the Cottonwood Police Department, expressing fears that Wingfield might be suicidal.
Officers visited his home in an attempt to check on his welfare, but they were unable to make contact with him.
Shortly after the police left his residence, Wingfield drove to the Cottonwood Public Safety Building. He entered the main lobby and, in a final, desperate act, shot himself in the head with a handgun. The incident occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. inside the building located at 199 S. 6th Street. He was quickly transported to the Verde Valley Medical Center, but his injury was too severe, and he was pronounced deceased in the emergency department.
The aftermath of the event left the community and local law enforcement to grapple with the tragedy. Fortunately, no one else was physically harmed during the incident. An investigation into his death confirmed that he acted alone, leaving behind a community to mourn and question the circumstances that led to this public and tragic end. The event served as a somber reminder of the personal battles that can remain unseen, even in a close-knit town.
