Investigators say the 27-year-old later returned to the family home, called 911 and died by suicide before deputies arrived.
SEMAN, Ala. — An Elmore County man accused of fatally shooting his 81-year-old father went to a casino after the killing, then returned to their rural home before calling 911 and dying by suicide the next morning, Sheriff Bill Franklin said.
The account provides a clearer timeline of the deaths of Bill Shaner and his 27-year-old son, Lance Shaner, at a residence on Tower Hill Road in the Seman community. Investigators believe Bill Shaner was shot between 9 and 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Deputies arrived at the property around 6:30 a.m. Friday after Lance Shaner contacted emergency dispatchers and said he had killed his father.
Franklin said investigators learned that Lance Shaner went to a casino after the shooting before returning home. A separate report identified the property as Wind Creek Wetumpka. Authorities have not said why he went there, what he did during the visit or how long he remained at the casino. Investigators also have not announced a definitive motive for the killing.
According to investigators, Lance Shaner later called 911 and acknowledged killing his father while also speaking about suicide. Dispatchers tried to keep him on the telephone, but contact was lost before deputies reached the home. Franklin said authorities believe Lance Shaner died by suicide shortly after the call ended.
Deputies found Lance Shaner dead inside the residence. Bill Shaner was found in a laundry and storage area toward the rear of the home. Investigators said he had been shot at least twice and had died before officers arrived. Authorities believe a handgun was used in both deaths and that the same firearm may have been involved.
The sheriff said investigators were told that the father and son had argued during the days before the shootings. The disagreements concerned things Lance Shaner wanted and places he wanted to go, according to Franklin. Authorities have not released further details about those disputes and have not said they established a direct cause for the shooting.
Bill Shaner was described by authorities as a lifelong resident of the Seman community, a rural area south of Equality. Franklin characterized him as a direct, no-nonsense person who was known locally. Boats that the 81-year-old worked on remained outside his home after his death, offering a visible reminder of his life in the community.
The sheriff also said investigators believe Bill Shaner remained alive for a period after being shot but did not receive medical help. Authorities have not released a detailed forensic finding beyond the information provided during the investigation. Both bodies were sent for forensic examination after deputies discovered them.
The casino trip remains one of the unresolved parts of the timeline. Investigators have disclosed no evidence explaining why Lance Shaner left the home after the shooting or what connection, if any, the casino visit had to the events before or afterward. Franklin’s account places the visit between the killing Thursday night and the 911 call early Friday.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office continues to treat the deaths as an apparent murder-suicide based on the evidence gathered at the home and the statements investigators say Lance Shaner made before deputies arrived. Authorities have not announced any additional suspects or released a separate motive for the shooting.
Author note: Last updated November 12, 2026.