Zachary Shane Mahaney, a 43-year-old former firefighter, passed away on September 25 or 26, 2024, in Ormond Beach, Florida. Mahaney died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been staying with his parents, Rhonda and Robert Mahaney, at the Bermuda Estates Apartments in Ormond Beach, after recently losing his job and separating from his wife, who resides in Palm Coast.
Mahaney had a distinguished career in firefighting, spending 12 years with Sumter County Fire Rescue, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He also held various certifications, including USAR, HAZMAT, and Live Fire Training. In July 2023, he joined the Palm Coast Fire Department as a firefighter-paramedic but did not complete the probationary period and lost his job in June 2024.
Prior to his death, Mahaney had been experiencing depression and had threatened suicide several times over the past three months, according to his mother. On the evening of September 25, he left his parents' home to buy cigarettes but never returned. His mother reported him missing to the Ormond Beach police the following morning. Police officers subsequently reported him as missing and "endangered" to a national database.
The Ormond Beach police received a 911 call from residents who had seen Mahaney's gray Toyota truck parked on the side of the road in the 2300 block of Old Tomoka Road. When police investigated, they found Mahaney's body inside the truck. The medical examiner took the body for an autopsy, and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office notified his wife in Palm Coast, although she had already learned of his death from a friend.
Mahaney was born in Echo Ridge, New Mexico, and later moved to Flagler County in 2004. He graduated from Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs in 1998 and obtained several certifications and degrees from Daytona State College and Waldorf University. He was a father of two children, with his 14-year-old son from a previous marriage that ended in 2011.
The Palm Coast Fire Department and the wider community mourned his loss, remembering him as an admired husband, loving father, friend, and brother. His death highlighted the ongoing mental health crisis among firefighters and the need for more support within the profession.
