In the small town of Iuka, Mississippi, a sense of tragedy befell the community on October 7, 2017, with the death of 64-year-old Gary L. 'Lunar' Lomenick. A male resident of Iuka, Lomenick's life came to a sudden and public end inside the emergency room of the North Mississippi Medical Center. The events of that Saturday afternoon created an intense situation as Iuka police responded to reports of an armed man within the hospital.
Gary Lomenick was in a hallway of the emergency room,
where he had been speaking with hospital staff. The nature of their conversation remains unclear, but the situation escalated tragically when Lomenick produced a firearm. The incident concluded when he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at approximately 2 p.m. The Tishomingo County Coroner, Mack Wilemon, confirmed the cause of death. Fortunately, no hospital staff, patients, or visitors were physically harmed during the ordeal.
The investigation into the motives behind Lomenick's actions was handled by the Iuka Police Department. While no definitive reason was officially released, his brother, Harold Lomenick, offered some insight into his state of mind. He revealed that Gary had recently suffered a fall from the roof of his house, leaving him in severe pain for which he was taking medication. In addition to his physical suffering, it was mentioned that he was also navigating some personal difficulties. Those who knew him expressed a belief that he never intended to harm anyone but himself. Gary Lomenick was a retired employee of the Tishomingo County Electric Power Association, where he had worked for 37 years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and other family members.
