A Thursday morning house fire in Buford ended with one man dead from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services were called just before 7 a.m. to a burning two-story home on the 3000 block of North Bogan Road NE, near Thompson Mill Road and close to the Hall County line. Hall County Fire Rescue also responded.
What firefighters found
- Crews arrived to heavy smoke and flames coming from the attic and second floor of the home.
- Search teams confirmed no one was inside the structure.
- During operations, firefighters twice encountered a man in nearby woods. At one point, he was holding a shotgun. He did not threaten or interfere with fire crews.
Gwinnett police officers on the scene established a safety perimeter while firefighters worked. The fire was brought under control around 7:26 a.m.
Discovery of a body
As crews wrapped up, a neighbor reported seeing a deceased man on a nearby property. Police determined it was the same man firefighters had seen earlier. Investigators said he appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office was called to determine the exact cause of death.
The aftermath
No other injuries were reported. Fire investigators said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. The deceased man was confirmed to be the home’s occupant.
A large response team was on scene, including four engines, a ladder truck, three medical units, and six fire investigators.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
