Pittsburg County Sheriff: Argument Over Spilled Drink Leads To Shooting, Suicide

Saturday, August 30th 2014, 11:44 am

By: News On 6

A man is dead and his son is in critical condition after a shooting and suicide in McAlester late Friday night. The sheriff said heavy drinking and arguing led up to the shooting.

Pittsburg County Sheriff, Joel Kern, said the man was shot four times by his dad, who then turned the gun on himself. He said the dispute started when the son spilled Coke in the dad's car.

Kern said the dad, William Gibson, his wife and his son Aaron were at a festival where they were asked to leave for drinking excessively.

The sheriff said during their drive home to the 600 block of Pelican Lane, the son spilled Coke in the car, starting an argument. The argument moved to the son's garage apartment.

Once at home, around 11:30 Friday night, Kern said Gibson began choking his wife, threatening to kill her and his son. Gibson left his son's apartment and went to his home nearby, coming back with a 9 mm pistol, he said.

Kern said Gibson shot his 34-year-old son four times, and when officers responded to the wife's 911 call, he shot and killed himself in police presence.

The sheriff said he knows the family personally.

"We've dealt with them a little bit in the past, but I personally know the family. I know they've had problems in the past, but yet, nothing this serious,” Kern said. "Yeah, I mean he's a good guy. He was a good guy, when he wasn't drinking."

Gibson, 66, had a history with the sheriff's department including public intoxication.