Sheriff’s Final Report on Tennis Center Shooting

EXCLUSIVE SBINSIDER | October 10th

Sometime in the early morning hours of September 12th, a single shot was fired inside the SaddleBrooke Tennis Center office. Employees arrived at the office in the morning and discovered that the hutch which held club trophies, had broken front glass and found a bullet casing on the floor of the office. No one was injured. The tennis office showed no signs of forced entry, leading to the conclusion that someone with keys and knowledge of the alarm system might be involved. The shot appears to have originated from the inside because no damage to the external features of the building were found.

The employee who was supposed to open the office that Monday morning did not appear for work.

On Thursday, October 13th, the Sheriff’s office issued its final report on the incident:

On 9/12/2022 around 10:15am, PCSO was called to a home on S. Border Dr. in the SaddleBrooke community for a welfare check. Inside the home, Deputies located 78-year-old Shirley Newman deceased from a gunshot wound.

The final report from the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was a suicide. The same morning, a second bullet likely matching the weapon used in the suicide was found inside the Tennis Club. Due to lack of witnesses and surveillance video, the circumstances around the weapon being discharged inside the Tennis Club are unknown. There are no outstanding suspects.

The weapon found at the scene of the suicide was a revolver, which showed 2 shots had been fired. The Sheriff’s office indicated that no suicide note had been found. Newman had been an employee at the Tennis Center for several years as a front desk customer service coordinator. Her son posted on Next Door the announcement of her passing which generated an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes. Many tennis players reported to being shocked and saddened by her loss.

The shooting incident investigation is closed by the Sheriff’s office said Laura Reimer the Public Information Officer for the Pinal County Sheriff’s office.