Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whistleblower Philip Haney was found dead on the side of a desolate California highway on Friday with a single gunshot would to the head, according to local authorities.

Haney's death has been ruled a suicide by an Amador County coroner, who noted that a firearm was observed next to the 66-year-old, who was found lying next to his vehicle.

"Upon their arrival, they located and identified 66-year-old Philip Haney, who was deceased and appeared to have suffered a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound. A firearm was located next to Haney and his vehicle. This investigation is active and ongoing. No further details will be released at this time," reads the report.

New: Official statement from Amador County Sheriff on the death of Philip Haney rules his shooting death a suicide pic.twitter.com/S2hNMW4Hbs — Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 23, 2020

So, Haney supposedly parked his car on the side of the road and shot himself in the head just after 10 a.m. on Friday. And while his death is clearly suspicious to some, it should be noted that his wife, Francesca, passed away eight months ago in June 2019 following a battle with cancer. The couple had one daughter named Sara, an ordained minister who previously served as the chaplain for the Cobb Detention Center according to Francesca's Facebook page (via Heavy).

Haney lived in Plymouth, California - approximately 40 miles east of Sacramento.

He notably authored "See Something, Say Nothing: A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government's Submission to Jihad," a scathing criticism of the Obama administration's handling of radical Islamic terrorism. In 2016, he testified that the Obama administration could have prevented the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida if they had not acted in favor of "political correctness."

Haney, who retired in 2015, studied Arabic culture and language while working as a scientist in the Middle East before becoming a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 as a Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agriculture officer. After serving as an armed CBP officer, he was promoted to its Advanced Targeting Team. He specialized in Islamic theology and the strategy and tactics of the global Islamic movement. -Fox News

Haney, a founding member of DHS, described his work at the agency like dealing with bugs - saying he "followed the trail and found the nest."

News of Haney's death rocked those who knew him.

"Somebody I deeply respected and considered a friend Phil Haney - a DHS whistleblower during the Obama Admin was apparently killed yesterday in Southern California," wrote journalist Sara Carter in a Saturday tweet. "Pray for his family and pray they find the person who murdered him. Still trying to get confirmation on details."