Three Tyrone

police officers and another city employee witnessed a Tyrone man shoot

and kill himself Saturday morning just after the town's Founders Day festivities

began, police said.

The officers

were alerted to the area after hearing two gun shots fired in the air

with his .40-cal semi-automatic handgun, said Police Chief Johnny Hay.

Just before the shooting, Stephens had jumped on top of a Chevy Suburban

in a field across the street from the town's baseball fields that is used

as a parking lot for Founders Day, Hay said.

Paramedics

were summoned to the scene after the incident occurred at 10:29 a.m.,

Hay said. The shooting came just after the 5K road race finished, but

Hay said he didn't think many people witnessed the incident.

Stephens was

on some type of medical disability leave from his position at Northwest

Airlines, Hay said. Stephens' wife, Kim, is the coordinator for the town's

Founders Day program.