HALLOWELL — Police believe an Augusta man found dead in a city-owned parking lot Monday died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The body of Paul Reginald Loisel, 83, was found by a passerby around 11:30 p.m. Monday in a parking lot near City Hall, off Water Street, said Hallowell Police Chief Eric Nason.

“He drove to the parking lot, got out, and appears to have taken his own life with a rifle,” Nason said. “We’re still looking into the actual cause of death with the medical examiner’s office.”

Police believe Loisel shot himself with a .30-30 rifle. Nason said officers were still working to confirm whether the weapon belonged to Loisel.

Nason was unsure how long Loisel had been there before his body was discovered. “It couldn’t have been very long,” he said.

Family members were notified of the man’s death during the overnight hours, Nason said.

The evidence collected so far suggests Loisel shot himself and was not the victim of a homicide.

“Once we got there and gathered more information, we were able to determine that (it wasn’t) a crime scene,” Nason said. “We still have some more work to do on it.”

 


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