The cause of death of a 21-year-old man found dead last month by police in an apartment in northeast Durango has been identified.
La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said Whitman Waters died by taking his own life.
On March 22, Durango Police Department received a call from a person reporting they heard a gunshot while on the phone with Waters.
Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop said officers arrived at an address in the 1200 block of Florida Road around 7:50 p.m. and were let into the residence by a roommate of Waters.
Inside the apartment, they found the 21-year-old man dead with a gunshot wound, he said.
“Officers and detectives attempted to contact neighbors in the surrounding apartments, but nobody answered the door or appeared to be at home at that time,” he said.
Help for people having suicidal thoughts or for those who fear a person is considering suicide:
Axis Care Hotline:24/7 local response to your crisis & behavioral health needs: (970) 247-5245
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE:(800) 273-TALK (8255) or text “TALK” to 741741
RED NACIONAL DE PREVENCIÓN DEL SUICIDIO:(888) 628-9454
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTER:247-7212
BOYS TOWN HOTLINE:(800) 448-3000.
SAFE2TELL COLORADO:(877) 542-7233 or safe2tell.org
COLORADO CRISIS SUPPORT LINE:(844) 493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255 or online at coloradocrisisservices.org to access a live chat available in 17 languages. The line has mental-health professionals available to talk to adults or youths 24 hours a day.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION:Colorado chapter information available at afsp.org/chapter/afsp-colorado/
FOR MEN:A website for adult men contemplating suicide is available at mantherapy.org
