In the late evening hours on a rainy December evening, a sheriff$-$elect returned home to join his family. He was going to be sworn in as the sheriff of a major metropolitan county within days. He parked his car on a cul$-$de$-$sac, as there were two vehicles of friends and relatives already in his driveway. He began walking east to the residence with several bags. His son observed this approach from the residence. He reported that as his father arrived at a point adjacent to the opening between the two cars in the driveway, the sheriff looked in a direction away from the driveway $($to the northwest$)$ and then turned in the same direction. The son reported hearing several gunshots, but he saw no one in between the cars while making his observations. The son ran for his father$$s weapon and observed nothing further.