A 35-year-old man from Chico, Calif., was found dead Friday in the bathroom of Pacific Pawn Brokers, a store in the Crescent V Shopping Center, after he shot himself in the chest with the store owner's semi-automatic pistol, South Lake Tahoe Police reported.
Michael Trusty, who Chico police listed as missing and endangered on Tuesday, entered the store around 2:30 p.m. looking for two ex-employees. Police said Trusty told one pawn shop employee that he used to work at the shop and that he wanted to apply to work there again.
After having a 10- to 15-minute conversation with Trusty, the employee went to help a customer while Trusty filled out an application at the counter. Minutes later two other employees spotted Trusty behind the counter close to a drawer that held the owner's gun, police reported.
Employees told police Trusty headed toward the bathrooms after standing near the front door.
Witnesses said they heard a pop come from the bathroom area, which compelled an employee to check the area. The employee found Trusty on the floor of the women's bathroom with the lights out, and with a bullet hole in his chest, police reported.
Trusty, wearing a gray T-shirt, tan shorts and tan tennis shoes, was dead when police arrived. The 9 mm pistol was found on the floor next to Trusty with the safety off and the hammer cocked, police reported.
The bullet that Trusty fired went through his back and came to rest inside a stereo speaker in the bathroom, police reported.
