Interesting that he attempted suicide, it appears, by shooting himself in the chest.
Men who use firearms as a suicide means usually shoot themselves in the head.
Women who use firearms as a suicide means usually shot themselves in the chest. The theory was that women didn't want their faces to be distorted, and be able to have open casket funerals.
Shooting yourself in the head with a pistol is pretty easily accomplished and if the firearm is of size, doesn't leave much room for error. Even with a long gun, putting the muzzle in your mouth is pretty fool proof. Both are...immediate?
Shooting yourself in the chest doesn't carry the same guarantee unless its a pretty big weapon; and even then with a long gun, some means of supporting the weapon and pulling the trigger needs to be incorporated.
A crossbow has considerable recoil depending on its design, but the heavier the bolt the greater the kick. Where employed for hunting larger game, a heavier bolt is preferred. The bolt tends to plug the intrusion which delays the bleeding out process. A hunter would want the game debilitated in the near term, they don't want to chase a deer for miles.
Most crossbows are designed to be braced against the shoulder like a long gun. Committing suicide with one would require the entire cocking and loading routine, a means to brace the weapon aimed at the target area, and a means to trigger it.
Not that I spend any time considering it and of course depending on the design and dimensions of the weapon: but if I were going to make the attempt, I would loosen a shoe lace, *advertiser censored* the cross bow, load it heavy, tie the shoe lace to the trigger, brace the forestock with both hands, put the discharge end under my chin pointed up, and stomp the appropriate foot. A lot of time to reconsider built into that effort... All that just MOO.
Actually I suspect the perpetrator here did not actually use the crossbow: he may have just taken the projectile, held it to his chest, and deliberately fallen forward. Rather like the Roman general...MOO
That would have been quick but obviously not 100% efficient.
eta: From context, I'm sure every one figure out the Censored...I do wonder how we are to reference a male chicken or a female dog if not by the righteous and time honored terms.