On February 20, 2012, von Bargen shot himself in the temple during an apparent suicide attempt. After placing a phone call to a 911 operator, emergency crews were dispatched to his Montgomery, Ohio, apartment. Von Bargen suffered from diabetes and, at the time of his death, had been living with one leg amputated. He was due to have a couple of toes amputated on the other foot and reportedly did not want to submit to another surgery.