United States (Ohio) - The fire chief in the Athens County city of Nelsonville died Friday night in an apparent suicide at the fire station, Sheriff Patrick Kelly said today. Tim Carr, 53, was found shortly after 6 p.m. and flown by helicopter to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where he died, Kelly said.

A .380-caliber handgun was found at the scene, but no one witnessed the shooting, Kelly said. He would not give details of what happened, citing the ongoing investigation.

"I knew Tim Carr for 30 years," he said. "He was with the volunteer department for over 20 years."

Firefighter Dean Russell said Carr had been fire chief for about six years.

"He was a real good chief," Russell said. "He changed the department for the better. He was just Tim. Everyone knew him as Tim. He was just a regular guy."

Nelsonville is about 55 miles southeast of Columbus. Carr lived in nearby Jacksonville.

Written by The Columbus Dispatch