The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating a death of a member of the Escambia County Sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Grover Smith issued a release this afternoon saying that Kari Schultz was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound at her home near the Florida state line.

Smith the department is treating it as a homicide, which he said is protocol for unattended deaths.

“Since I do not believe we can effectively investigate ourselves, I have asked the State Bureau of Investigation to handle her case,” Smith said. “We have no other information that can be released at this time.”