The man who inspected a Philadelphia building weeks before it collapsed and killed six people last week has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Associated Press reports.
Ronald Wagenhoffer, 52, was found Wednesday in a pick-up truck with a gunshot wound to his chest. He worked for the Department of Licenses and Inspections and inspected the now-collapsed building May 14. The AP reports that Wagenhoffer signed off on demolition work despite complaints from the public about the site.
Wagenhoffer's wife found his body after receiving a text message from him, according to ABC 6 in Philadelphia.
It is unclear if the building inspector would have been held responsible for the collapse. A crane operator working on demolishing the four-story building has been charged with six counts of involuntary manslaughter, 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person, and one count of "risking a catastrophe," according to CNN.
The crane operator, 42-year-old Sean Benschop, maintains his innocence. Law enforcement sources have said that Benschop had marijuana and pain medication in his blood after the collapse, and he has been arrested on firearms and theft charges multiple times in the past. He was found guilty in the 1990s on drug charges.
At a press conferece, Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison said: "[Wagenhoffer] did nothing wrong. The department did what it was supposed to do."
Wagenhoffer worked for the city for 16 years.
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