Suicide and arson suspected at Cranston death scene. What we know.

CRANSTON – A preliminary investigation suggests that an elderly man set his home on fire late Monday night before he went into his garage and took his own life by shooting himself, according to Cranston police.

A fire at the single-family house on Beckwith Street initially drew attention from firefighters and police officers soon after dispatchers received calls at 11:32 p.m., said Cranston's police chief, Col. Michael J. Winquist.

Police officers found an 80-year-old man suffering from a single gunshot wound in the garage, Winquist said, adding that investigators learned that the man had lived alone.

After the fire was extinguished, he said, investigators determined that the home had been barricaded and the fire had started in multiple locations.

Neighbor recalls blast of single gunshot

One neighbor recalled hearing what sounded like a single gunshot prior to smelling smoke and learning that the house next door was on fire.

No one else was found inside the home and no one else in the neighborhood was injured, said Winquist.

An investigation continues, he said, and the state medical examiner will determine the manner and cause of the death.

Rhode Islanders thinking of suicide or in crisis can contact a trained counselor by dialing 988 or sending a text to that number.

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cranston police suspect suicide and arson at death scene