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Dewey Police Department Chief Mike Shea has made comments for the first time on a murder / suicide that left two men dead last Friday.

The murder /suicide came as a surprise to the Dewey community. Chief Shea said Dewey is a predominantly quiet place, and it has been since he started working in the city over 10 years ago. He said Friday's murder / suicide was the third homicide that has occurred during his tenure, and all three of them resorted back in some fashion to domestic situations.

On Friday, Brooke Arbeitman, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's Public Information Officer, said the incident started Thursday when the Dewey Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office served a protective order in the 1200 Block of North Choctaw Street. She said the protective order was to evict 25-year-old Tyler Gage, who was the husband of the woman who lives in the residence.

Gage left the home but came back with a gun late Thursday night. According to the OSBI, Gage then shot and killed 29-year-old Christopher Gilliam. Gilliam was pronounced dead at the scene. Gage then turned the gun on himself. Gage was in critical condition in a Tulsa hospital, but he later died on Friday morning from his self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to Chief Shea, a woman and the four children that were in the home when the incident occurred have gone through counseling at Ray of Hope in Bartlesville. He said they do not know how much the children saw, which is why the professionals with the children sit down with them to find out what they experienced.

From there, the professional counselors can see if there needs to be additional counseling or services for the children. Chief Shea they do not want the kids to carry trauma with them for life. Neither the women nor the children were harmed in the incident last week.

The level of cooperation with each agency involved was stellar. Chief Shea said he has worked with different organization where the level of cooperation that was experienced late Thursday and early Friday was not seen before.

Alongside the Dewey Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was the Dewey Fire Department, Bartlesville EMS, and the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Cheif Shea said officers quickly secured the residence in the 1200 Block of North Choctaw Street, which allowed medical personnel to access the wounded Gage. He said it also allowed for the area to be secure for investigation purposes.

All emergency professionals worked in frigid conditions as lows were in the teens on Friday morning. Washington County Sheriff Scott Owen is said to have brought coffee as well as additional resources the Dewey Police Department may have needed to assist the OSBI with their investigation. Also credited for their hard work were the dispatchers in Bartlesville.

Chief Shea concluded his commenting by asking the public to give anyone wearing a uniform from any department mentioned a pat on the back for their hard work. He said this goes for any case they might work, not just for their work with last week’s murder / suicide.

The OSBI's investigation continues.