It is winter, and he may have had no place to go.
If not prepared to pull the trigger, should NEVER pull the piece.
Most likely doesn't have all the marbles in a row.
Daughter is a high price to pay.
1. There is no homeless shelter?
2. Eviction notices never come as a surprise. Even an emergency eviction has several days notice associated with it. I have had to evict tenants for things like firing a shotgun through the wall and into the adjoining apartment. Even then, no one is put on the street unexpectedly.
3. The only exception ever is a domestic restraining order, which is not an eviction. I have had co-workers where their wife would serve them with a notice to keep out with no prior notice. But that is not an eviction.
Maybe he is paying three fourths of his income in child support. Not uncommon for fathers to be homeless while the moms get their nails done every two weeks.... Hundreds of dollars on purses.. I see it every day.
He had a .223 revolver he could have sold or pawned to pay some rent, yes?