The husband of Mayor Jean Stothert of Omaha, Nebraska, was found dead at the family home on Friday afternoon, according to reports.
Joe Stothert, 72, was a certified intensive care physician and served for 18 years as medical director of the Omaha Fire Department’s paramedic training program, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
“It is with great sadness that we share Joe Stothert’s tragic loss with family, friends and our loving community,” the mayor’s office said in a statement, according to FOX 42 in Omaha. “Joe’s dedication and affection for everyone he cared for serves as a bright light of human kindness for all of us to follow.”
The family asked for prayers and privacy “so that our family will cry and remember an extraordinary and caring husband, father and grandfather,” according to the statement.
Police officers responded to a report of a gunfight at the house before 2 pm. There was no suspicion of a crime, according to the police, the Omaha World-Herald reported. The police did not provide details about the shooting.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said he and his wife were “shocked and saddened” by the news. “From his service at the State Trauma Council to working with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, he has dedicated his life to serving others in the health field,” said Ricketts in a statement. “We are praying for Joe, Jean, Elizabeth, Andrew and the entire Stothert family during this difficult time.”
Both American senators from Nebraska shared their condolences.
American Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Tweeted her family’s thoughts and prayers “are with Mayor Stothert and his family during this very sad period”.
US Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Called Stothert’s death “tragic”.
We know Joe as a husband, father and grandfather, who served our communities through his work as a doctor, “he said in a statement, according to FOX 42.” Melissa and I joined Nebraskans across our state to pray for Mayor Stothert and her family during this heartbreak. ”
The couple has been married for 40 years, according to the mayor’s website.
Mayor Stothert, a Republican, is running for a third term, the World-Herald reported.
The news comes a month after the adult daughter of former Omaha mayor Jim Suttle and state senator Deb Suttle was found dead near a remote road in the state. Amber Tjaden, 48, disappeared on January 27. Her adult daughter soon filed a missing person report, according to the World-Herald. She was found on February 6.
There was no suspicion of a crime in his death, officials said.
Fox News’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.