https://www.dallasnews.com/2021/02/11/us-rep-van-duyne-shocked-after-man-killed-himself-outside-of-her-irving-house/A man who shot and killed himself out of U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s Irving home Wednesday was a former staffer of the freshman Republican congresswoman and a GOP activist, officials said.
The Irving Police Department confirmed his identity to The Dallas Morning News Thursday as Richard Christian “Chris” Dillard, 55. He was Van Duyne’s communications director for her campaign from November 2019 to April 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile, which shows him pictured with Texas GOP Chairman Allen West. Dillard was a member of the Texas State Guard, The Texas Military Department Public Affairs staff confirmed Thursday.
Dillard shot himself and died by suicide Wednesday, police said. Van Duyne, a freshman Republican, was home at the time, according to spokeswoman Amanda Gonzalez Thompson.
Van Duyne called police after she heard a shot and saw a body on her front walkway at around 3:45 p.m. Van Duyne had been participating in a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s budget meeting at the time.
Van Duyne spokeswoman Andrea Coker read a statement from Van Duyne, who said Dillard had been to her home multiple times for “holiday parties, fantasy football draft parties and get-togethers with friends.” The last time Van Duyne said she heard from Dillard was over text in January.
