Indian River County Fire Rescue firefighter and paramedic Geoffrey S. Lang, 35, died by suicide at his Sebastian home on Saturday, July 25, according to a Sebastian Police Department report released this week. Sebastian police officers responded to Lang's residence at 4:18 p.m. after dispatch received a call from his wife stating that her husband shot himself in front of her.
When officers arrived, they found Lang's wife and a neighbor outside the residence. Officers and a K-9 dog entered the home and discovered Lang's body in a bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. A neighbor told officers they heard a woman yelling and screaming and then heard a single gunshot between 4 p.m. and the time officers arrived. The neighbor initially thought the sound was fireworks but recognized it as a distinctive gunshot.
An individual with Indian River County Fire Rescue pronounced Lang dead at the scene. Lowther Funeral Home transported his body to the medical examiner's office. The report notes that when one of the neighbors went to speak with Lang's wife after police arrived, the wife appeared hostile.
A funeral service for Lang will be held on Tuesday, August 5 at Community Church located at 1901 23rd Street in Vero Beach, according to Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home Crematory. The Suicide Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. The 211 Helpline of Palm Beach and Treasure Coast can be reached by dialing 211 or texting a ZIP code to 898211.