“Storage Wars” star Darrell Sheets was seen smiling in a photo taken just hours before his sudden death.
In the photo obtained by TMZ, Sheets posed beside two fans at his Lake Havasu, Arizona, antique shop on Tuesday, at around 5 p.m. local time.
A witness told the outlet that he seemed “upbeat and friendly.”
The reality star died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, with his body being discovered at around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Lake Havasu Police Department. He was 67.
Sheets was on the long-running reality show — which follows professional buyers who bid on repossessed, abandoned storage units in California — from 2010 to 2023.
His “Storage Wars” rival, Brandi Passante, penned an emotional tribute on social media, saying she had known him a long time and was “at a loss for words.”
She added that she had “unfortunately lost a parent and a brother to similar situations.”
“I’m just so very sorry, to hear the circumstances of his passing,” she wrote, noting that those who are similarly struggling can reach out for help as they aren’t alone.
Fellow “Storage Wars” star Rene Nezhoda had a more pointed message, saying in an Instagram video Wednesday that he believed cyberbullying played a part in Sheets’ death.
“He had this guy, like, really, really tormenting him lately and cyberbullying [him],” Nezhoda stated.
“Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that’s been cyberbullying him and tormenting him, and I really hope [law enforcement] look into that guy and it’s just not a pass,” he continued.
Sergeant Kyle Ridgway, public information officer for the Lake Havasu City Police Department, told Page Six, “We are aware of these cyberbullying accusations and that is a part of the active investigation.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
