Tiverton business reopens after man takes his own life in front of staff, customers

A local business reopened late last month, two days following a heartbreaking suicide involving a customer who used a rented gun at Sakonnet River Outfitters, an indoor range and retail spot located at 777 Main Road in Tiverton.

According to East Bay RI, Jay and Patricia Runci, who took ownership of the business in 2021, decided to shutter operations for 48 hours after the event—one day to honor the deceased and another to allow staff and patrons who witnessed the ordeal a chance to process their emotions.

Runci, who had a passing acquaintance with the individual and had even hired him for services in the past, mentioned he detected no indicators of inner turmoil, neither in casual encounters nor in the recorded footage from the incident.

He added that had the employees spotted any red flags or learned of the man’s struggles, they would have withheld the rental and pulled him aside for a private conversation.

Runci also expressed appreciation for the outpouring of concern and encouragement from the neighborhood in the days since the incident.