Police: Man in Sullivan County Who Shot Himself Sought Revenge For Mother’s Death

A man in Sullivan County who fatally shot himself, after a confrontation with police, sought revenge for his mother who died in a tragic accident. Time Warner News reports that the suspect was the son of Susan McCormick, the woman who was killed during the St Patrick's Day Parade earlier this year in Rock Hill. McCormick fell from the bed of a moving pickup truck, and then was run over by the float the pickup was hauling after attempting to get up..

According to police, Richard Bernstein jumped bail in Florida, after being held on sex abuse charges, and headed for New York. Emergency responders arrived Wednesday at a home in Rock Hill after receiving a call that a wanted felon might be in the vicinity. Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff told reporters

We got word that he was heading to New York he was angry and wanted to confront the subject. Our response team came out to the scene and found him coming out of the woods. When he was confronted, he took out a revolver from his back pocket and shot himself.

According to police, Richard Bernstein was pronounced dead at the hospital after shooting himself in the head twice. The sheriff’s office said that when they found the 43 year-old Bernstein, he was told to put his hands up. The sheriff’s office said he pulled a revolver from his back pocket and shot himself in the head.

The home authorities arrived at belongs to Bernstein's stepfather. There is no word yet on whether the stepfather knew about his stepson's whereabouts.

Authorities say Bernstein never made contact with the man driving the trailer. The sheriff’s office said it was believed Bernstein planned to confront the driver of the vehicle pulling the float.