Sheriff's Department Releases Additional Information on Incident North of Watson Monday

The deceased man has been identified as 25-year-old Brian S. Rieman of rural Watson.

The sheriff's office release indicates that the department responded to a welfare check at a residence in rural Watson about 10:30am. Sheriff Dave Mahon advised that deputies spoke with a man at the residence who advised that everything was fine.

Just after noon, the Sheriff's Office received a 911 hang-up call at the same residence. Upon arrival, a sheriff's deputy observed a man in a driveway near the house with a shotgun and accompanied by a female. The man retreated into the residence and the female ran to the deputy. Backup units arrived and the Sheriff's Office attempted to make contact with the man inside the house. The man had claimed he would do harm to himself and the female.

While evacuating surrounding residences, officers thought they heard a sound that resembled a muffled gunshot around 1pm and possibly another around 4pm. Additional assistance from the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System was requested, and a containment team responded while efforts continued to establish communication with the man inside. Shortly before 5pm, the team deployed a robot into the residence. The man was found dead inside the residence in a bedroom of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Effingham County Coroner's Office was called at 4:58pm. Upon arrival, County Coroner Kim Rhodes pronounced Rieman dead.

An autopsy was scheduled this morning to confirm the cause and manner of Rieman's death.

An investigation into the incident continues by the Effingham County Sheriff's Department, the Effingham County Coroner's Office and the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services.