On March 7, 2026, a tragic incident occurred in Cheyenne, Wyoming, resulting in the death of 41-year-old Theresa McIntosh. Authorities from the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on Pine Avenue in south Cheyenne around 12:50 p.m. Upon arrival, deputies found McIntosh unconscious but breathing, with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. She was transported to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she succumbed to her injuries the following day, March 8.

The initial investigation classified the incident as a possible suicide attempt involving a firearm. However, medical personnel and law enforcement personnel raised concerns due to the nature of the wound: an entry point behind and above the right ear with no exit wound, characteristics inconsistent with a typical self-inflicted gunshot from a contact or near-contact distance. These observations prompted a shift in the investigation toward homicide.

A 14-year-old juvenile, later identified as Havoc Leone—McIntosh’s son—was present at the scene and taken into custody. Leone’s biological father, McIntosh’s common-law husband, was also home at the time but was in the basement playing video games with noise-canceling headphones and did not immediately hear the shot. He later discovered McIntosh on the floor in Leone’s bedroom and attempted first aid before calling emergency services.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed in Laramie County Circuit Court, the events leading to the shooting stemmed from a domestic argument. Approximately 90 minutes prior to the incident, McIntosh and her partner confronted Leone about an electronic tablet he had allegedly taken without permission from a client of McIntosh’s house-cleaning business. During the confrontation, McIntosh demanded the device’s password, which Leone had noted in a notebook in his bedroom. Leone retrieved the notebook but reportedly tossed it to the floor in frustration. As McIntosh bent down to pick it up, Leone allegedly retrieved a black Taurus 9mm handgun from his closet—where he had hidden it after taking it from his mother’s vehicle glovebox about a week earlier—and fired a single shot into the back of her head.

The firearm belonged to McIntosh and was typically stored loaded in her vehicle with no round in the chamber for safety. Leone admitted to investigators that he had taken the gun following a prior argument with his mother, reportedly triggered by his receipt of a “D” grade in math class. Court documents indicate Leone initially told authorities that the gun “just went off” or that his mother had shot herself. He later changed his account, confessing to shooting her himself.

Further details from the affidavit reveal that Leone expressed anger toward his mother during the confrontation, stating he was upset because she had insulted him and called him names, including references to being a “thief” and other derogatory terms amid the dispute over the tablet and his behavior. Investigators reported that Leone admitted to having contemplated harming his mother on previous occasions, specifically when she insisted he perform tasks he did not want to do, such as chores or schoolwork. He reportedly told deputies he was angry immediately before the shooting and “couldn’t tell her how much he hated her because she doesn’t understand him.”

Leone’s father, upon learning the full circumstances, expressed profound distress to investigators. He described his son as knowledgeable about firearms and aware of basic safety protocols, noting that Leone understood not to point a weapon at someone unless intending to cause harm. The father reportedly found it difficult to accept the possibility of his son’s involvement, stating it would have been “a lot easier” to believe the death was a suicide.

On March 10, Leone was formally arrested and charged as an adult with felony first-degree murder under Wyoming law, which carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Bond was set at $500,000. The decision to charge him as an adult reflects the severity of the offense and the prosecutor’s assessment of the case’s circumstances. As of mid-March 2026, no plea has been entered, and the case remains in the early stages of the judicial process in Laramie County.

The incident has drawn attention to several broader issues, though authorities have not released additional details on Leone’s mental health history, prior behavioral concerns, or family dynamics beyond what is documented in the affidavit. McIntosh was described in community reports as a dedicated business owner operating a cleaning service, which involved entering clients’ homes and building professional trust. The alleged theft of the tablet from a client added an element of professional embarrassment to the family conflict.

Cheyenne, a city of approximately 65,000 residents in southeastern Wyoming, experiences relatively low rates of violent crime compared to larger urban areas. Familial homicides, particularly involving minors, are uncommon in the region. The case has prompted local discussions on topics such as secure firearm storage in households with adolescents, conflict resolution within families, and the challenges of addressing escalating behavioral issues in teenagers.

Public records and media coverage from outlets including the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Cowboy State Daily, Oil City News, and national sources like the New York Post and Oxygen have detailed the affidavit’s contents. Community responses have included expressions of sympathy for McIntosh’s family and calls for awareness regarding household safety measures. No additional individuals have been implicated in the incident, and the investigation concluded that Leone acted alone.

The unfinished puzzle McIntosh was reportedly assembling in her son’s bedroom at the time of the shooting has been noted in some accounts as a poignant detail, symbolizing an ordinary moment interrupted by tragedy. As legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on the judicial determination of facts based on evidence, witness statements, and forensic analysis.

This case underscores the potential consequences of unsecured firearms in domestic environments and the complexities of parent-teen relationships under stress. While the investigation and charging decisions reflect law enforcement’s findings to date, the presumption of innocence applies until a court determines otherwise. The loss of Theresa McIntosh has left a lasting impact on her family, friends, and the Cheyenne community, highlighting the irreversible nature of such events.