The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office has identified Jeffrey Lemonds as the man who led police on a chase through Aubrey on Tuesday and later shot himself in a pasture in the 5600 block of U.S. Highway 377.
A 46-year-old father of two, Lemonds was a resident of Grapevine, according to his voter registration records. He also worked as a regional sales manager at Aerotech Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company that designs motion-control products, according to Lemonds' LinkedIn page.
At about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aubrey police clocked Lemonds driving about 20 mph over the speed limit in a gray Ford Explorer in the 300 block of U.S. 377, according to Lt. Orlando Hinojosa, a spokesman for the Denton County Sheriff's Office.
A police chase ensued for 16 minutes, as Lemonds drove about five miles south toward U.S. Highway 380 and later drove back toward Aubrey, Hinojosa said. After Texas Highway Patrol officers punctured a tire with road spikes, Lemonds drove into an open pasture behind a Dollar Tree store on U.S. 377.
There, he stepped out of the SUV with a shotgun and fired once in the air, Hinojosa said. He refused to put the gun down and fired again, this time at himself, police said.
It remains unclear why Lemonds would try to evade police for several minutes, and why he was driving in Aubrey with a shotgun in his vehicle.
Lonnie Haschel, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the Texas Rangers are investigating the incident but did not provide any additional details.
Some of Lemonds' friends said Wednesday they were shocked when they heard about the incident.
Angie Losack, a Grapevine resident, said she's been friends with Lemonds since they were teenagers. They both grew up in Arlington and attended middle school together, she said.
"The Jeff we all knew was an amazing, talented, athletic guy since grade school," she said in a Facebook message. "He was a fun-loving man that always made you laugh. He loved his family and his two boys with all his heart. They were his pride and joy."
Alicia Herron, a California resident and a close friend of Lemonds' girlfriend, said he suffered from bouts of depression.
"He was a handsome, successful man with a beautiful family, but [had] some personal demons," she said.
She later added, "Out of respect for his family, there is not too much I can say."
Public records show Lemonds divorced the mother of his two children in 2013.
According to information from the Department of Public Safety, Lemonds was arrested once in 2009 in Travis County on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a highway passageway. He served 15 months probation for that charge, records show.
Officials from the Denton County Sheriff's Office said Lemonds did not have any previous jail bookings or active warrants in the county.