MADRAS, OR -- A Jefferson County man took his own life after showing up at his workplace with a gun, Tuesday afternoon. A Deputy was nearby when the first call came in, and arrived at the PGE headquarters west of Madras just before 2:30 p.m., just as employees were evacuating.

Law enforcement established a perimeter and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team tried to make contact with the man. Those attempts were unsuccessful and a drone was used to look inside the building. A robot then breached the locked door to the man’s office. He was found deceased inside with a single gunshot wound to the chest.

No one else was hurt and JCSO is investigating, although they believe the man took his own life prior to law enforcement arrival. Undersheriff Marc Heckathorn says staff at the PGE office, with is the headquarters for the Pelton Round Butte Dam project, "did an outstanding job in evacuating their employees to a safe location and were able to account for all their employees almost immediately." He went on to say in the statement, "The event was a shock to PGE staff but their emergency planning and preparation for emergencies was evident during this event."