February 3, 2026 4:00 a.m. 

Sutherlin Police and other agencies responded to reports of gunshots on Monday afternoon and eventually found one person that was deceased.

Police Chief Troy Mills said at approximately 3:40 p.m. SPD officers with assistance of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police were dispatched to the 1200 block of East Third Avenue after callers indicated that they had heard two gunshots. Mills said one of the rounds traveled through the back wall of a nearby home and nearly struck a resident inside.

Officers quickly secured the area and determined that the gunshots originated from a neighboring residence located behind the affected home in the 1200 block of East Second Avenue. A reverse 911 notification was issued to nearby residents, and the area was temporarily secured for safety.

Mills said after several unsuccessful attempts to contact anyone inside the residence where the gunshots originated, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Team made entry into the home. Once inside, they located an elderly female deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A deceased dog was also found inside the residence.

Mills said the name of the deceased woman is being withheld pending next of kin notifications.

The investigation is ongoing with no threat to the public.