Father of Sandy Hook shooting victim found dead in apparent suicide, police say

The father of a first-grader killed in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was discovered dead in an apparent suicide Monday morning at a town hall in Connecticut, police said.

Authorities said that the body of Jeremy Richman, 49, was found at about 7 a.m. at Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, a city scarred by a school shooting that left 20 students and six staff members dead, including Richman's daughter, Avielle Richman.

Lt. Aaron Bahamonde, a spokesman for the Newtown Police Department, told The Washington Post that Richman's death "puts Newtown back into the spotlight again."

"We certainly recognize the heartbreak that this is causing," he said in a phone interview. "It's a difficult situation that we're all dealing with here and it's a sad situation."

Authorities said that Richman, who founded the Avielle Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to prevent gun violence, had an office at the Edmond Town Hall.

Authorities did not release further details but said Richman's body will be transported to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy, expected to be completed later in the day.

6 ways parents and schools can tackle the spike in teen suicide

- - -

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, here are some resources:

• Call the <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/"><b>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline</b></a> at 800-273-TALK (8255). It's a free, 24/7 confidential service that provides people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, or those around them, with support, information and local resources.
• Text "START" to 741741, the <a href="http://www.crisistextline.org/"><b>Crisis Text Line</b></a>.
• Call the <a href="https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/"><b>Veterans Crisis Line</b></a> at 1-800-273-8255 (press 1) or text a message to 838255. It connects veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat or text 24/7.
• Gay, lesbian and transgender youth can <a href="http://www.thetrevorproject.org/section/get-help"><b>call the Trevor Project</b></a> at 866-488-7386 anytime; from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Central time on Thursdays and Fridays, they can text “Trevor” to 202-304-1200 to start talking.

(c) 2019, The Washington Post. By Lindsey Bever.

via nola.com https://ift.tt/2TwhiEE

In this photo taken Oct. 30, 2013, Jeremy Richman in Newtown stands the backyard of his home in Newtown, Conn. His daughter, Avielle Richman, was one of 20 Sandy Hook Elementary School students that were killed in a mass shooting Dec. 14, 2012. As the Richman's gathered with friends who offered support, an idea emerged on the day of Avielle's funeral for a way to channel their grief and try to prevent other such tragedies a foundation to support research into the brain pathologies behind violence. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (Craig Ruttle/)