Allen "Rookie" Kruse Reportedly Commits Suicide Over Struggling Charter Boat Business Due to Gulf Oil Spill

Allen "Rookie" Kruse, charter boat captain, reportedly commits suicide due to struggling business due to the massive Gulf oil spill.

Charter boat captain Allen "Rookie" Kruse was found dead Wednesday of an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound on one of his boats, the Montgomery Advertiser said. He was reportedly despondent about his struggling charter boat business in the wake of the BP Gulf oil spill. He operated two charter boats out of Zeke's Landing Marina.

Reports indicate that the captain may have shot and killed himself at the Fort Morgan Marina before his boat was scheduled to set out for cleanup work early Wednesday, according to the Press-Register. Two deckhands heard a pop and, after Kruse failed to meet them at the fuel dock, they went and found him on the boat with a single gunshot wound to the head.

According to the paper, witnesses told investigators that Kruse was upset by the loss of business caused by fishing grounds being closed due to the spill and with the public perceptions of the spill. Source

Well, it is sad that he saw no way out of his financial struggles and thought committing suicide was the answer. In my opinion, that's taking the easy way out instead of fighting to survive.