Creek County Investigates Fatal Shooting In Home Near Drumright

The Creek County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal shooting at a home east of Drumright.

Detectives said someone came into the home near state Highway 33 and 449th West Avenue late Wednesday morning and shot 64-year-old Roy Varnell inside his home.

Varnell was babysitting 8-year-old granddaughter and 12-year-old grandson when it happened.

Detectives spent Wednesday afternoon talking with the victim's grandson and granddaughter, hoping to find any clues as to who may have done this.

Creek County Detectives said Varnell was shot and killed, sitting in a chair.

"Boy that was there, 12 years old, said somebody came in, shot him, left the residence. He didn't see him," said Sergeant Matthew Greco-Lucchina, of the Creek County Sheriff's Office.

Family members said the boy woke up to a gunshot, then heard the backdoor slam, leaving detectives with very little to go on.

"All you're gonna have is two kids that were probably very scared and terrified at the time," said Greco-Lucchina.

Varnell's son, Darrin, a Pawnee County Sheriff's Deputy, spent the afternoon watching his parents' home from a distance, waiting to hear any new developments.

"Would anybody be out for your father? Nobody that I could ever think of," Darrin said.

Darrin said his mother was away at work when his father was murdered.

"She's shook up, she's trying to take care of my nephew right now and see what's going on with him. They're still talking to him to see what he knows," Darrin said.

Detectives said because there were no signs of forced entry, the doors were likely unlocked.

But the bigger fear is that this was a random shooting that could happen again.

"We have to play it safe here and assume that there could be somebody running around here that could have broken into the residence and shot this older gentleman," Greco-Lucchina said.

Detectives said the important thing now is for rural residents to be vigilant and keep their doors locked tight.

Investigators recovered some weapons inside the home that belonged to Varnell. They said it's possible that one of those was used in the shooting.

Both of Varnell's grandchildren made it out of the home unharmed.