Bibb coroner seeking suicide victim’s next of kin

The Bibb County Coroner’s Office is seeking the public’s help in finding the next of kin for a man who fatally shot himself Monday afternoon in Macon.

Coroner Leon Jones said Joshua Thomas, 28, shot himself in front of a Bibb County sheriff’s deputy on Roy Street. Thomas’ last known address was 2737 Sheraton Drive, Jones said.

Anyone with information about Thomas’ next of kin is asked to call Chief Deputy Coroner Lonnie Miley at 478-256-6714 or Jones at 478-256-6716.

The shooting incident began to unfold when deputies received a call of a person with a gun just before 5:15 p.m. at the FedEx at 2750 Roff Ave. The man, described in a sheriff’s news release as Asian, became angry at workers there and threatened them with the weapon.

Thomas arrived at the FedEx facility to pick up an automotive part, and when employees did not release it to him, he became “irate” and ran from the store, according to the release.

A deputy found Thomas on Roy Street at Bell Avenue, but he ran up Roy Street toward Roy Street Lane, the release said. As the deputy approached him in his patrol car, Thomas shot himself in the head, which was recorded on the deputy’s car camera, according to the release. He was taken to the Medical Center, Navicent Health, where he was pronounced dead.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 478-751-7500.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 8:20 PM with the headline "Bibb coroner seeking suicide victim’s next of kin."