Father Of Sandy Hook Victim, Jeremy Richman, Dies From Apparent Suicide At 49

On Monday, a father of one of the 20 first-grade students who were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting was found dead of an apparent suicide, bringing suicide involving someone linked to a major U.S. school shooting to three in just more than a week.

The body of 49-year-old Jeremy Richman was found at Edmond Town Hall in Connecticut where Richman had an office, according to Newtown police. An autopsy was planned, but the death did not appear to be suspicious, police said. 

The neuroscientist was the father of six-year-old Avielle Richman and the founder of the Avielle Foundation, which is dedicated to preventing violence and building compassion through brain research.

“This is a heartbreaking event for the Richman family and the Newtown community as a whole,” police Lt. Aaron Bahamonde said. “The police department’s prayers are with the Richman family right now, and we ask that the family be given privacy in this most difficult time.”

Richman’s death is the third suicide in the past week related to school massacres. As just last week, the city of Parkland, Florida, revealed that two apparent suicides involving survivors of a gunman’s rampage on Valentine’s Day last year of which killed 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, took place.

Sydney Aiello, 19, a Florida Atlantic University student, suffered from survivor’s guilt and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, her mom told CNN. Then on Saturday, a second Marjory Stoneman Douglas student died in what police describes as “an apparent suicide.” The student has not yet been publicly identified. As it is still unclear under what circumstances the student died or whether the suicide was related to last year’s massacre. 

After the news of the second suicide broke, parent’s of the school’s students and representatives from organizations throughout the county came together to discuss what they could do to help students at MSD and “children throughout the county cope with trauma and depression,” schools superintendent Robert Runcie said.

Runchie is urging students with thoughts of suicide to call the local suicide hotline.

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“We are here for you,” Runcie said. “No judgment.”