Sandy Hook father commits suicide in Newtown town hall

NEWTOWN — The father of a Sandy Hook victim was found dead in Edmond Town Hall from an apparent suicide Monday morning.

Jeremy Richman, 49, of Newtown, was found by police and paramedics around 7 a.m. He was the father of Avielle Richman, a first-grader killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy.

After his daughter’s death, Richman co-founded the Avielle Foundation to advance brain research into the roots of violence. The foundation uses community engagement, education and brain research to prevent violence and build compassion.

Richman had an office at the 45 Main St. building where his body was discovered.

He was reportedly found in a stage area undergoing renovations, according to The Newtown Bee.

Richman was a neuropharmacologist with more than 20 years of experience researching various ailments, such as diabetes and kidney disease. He enjoyed rock climbing and teaching martial arts, according to the Avielle Foundation’s website.

“My god,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted Monday. “This is awful, horrible, devastating news. Jeremy was a good friend and an unceasing advocate for better research into the brain’s violence triggers. He was with me in my office two weeks ago, excited as could be about the Avielle Foundation’s latest amazing work.”

The cause of Richman’s death is under investigation. Police said it appears to be a suicide, but they will not disclose the method or any other details about the death. They did, however, say that it “does not appear to be suspicious.”

Richman’s death comes in the wake of suicides of two teenagers who survived the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Last week, 19-year-old Sandy Aiello, who was a senior during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, died by suicide. Her mother said she struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt. Then, another Parkland teen was reported dead over the weekend in an “apparent suicide.”

Richman’s body was transported to the State of Connecticut Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy that is expected to be done today.

“This is a heart-breaking event for the Richman family and the Newtown community as a whole,” Lt. Aaron Bahamonde said in a press release. “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.”

No one at the Avielle Foundation’s office answered the phone Monday morning.

Police said Edmond Town Hall is open today.

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Jeremy Richman, the father of Avielle Richman, pictured here on the left

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This is awful. Why is happening so often these last days? Poor people, I wish they could get the help they need.

(CNN) A father dedicated to helping prevent mass shootings after his daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre has died of an apparent suicide.

The body of Jeremy Richman was found in his Connecticut office building Monday morning, Newtown police said.

His death is the third suicide in the past week related to school massacres.


Richman, 49, was the father of 6-year-old Avielle Richman, who was among 20 children and six adults killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Avielle Richman, 6, was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.
Avielle Richman, 6, was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.
Police said they "will not disclose the method or any other details" of Richman's death, other than it does not appear to be suspicious.

Parkland grieves 2 suicides a year after massacre

In Florida, mourners are grieving the death of Sydney Aiello, a 2018 graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who died by suicide last week. She survived the attack on Valentine's Day 2018 that killed 17 people at the school in Parkland.

After 2 student suicides, Parkland dad tells parents everywhere to be alert
After 2 student suicides, Parkland dad tells parents everywhere to be alert
Aiello, a Florida Atlantic University student, suffered from survivor's guilt and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, her mom told CNN affiliate WFOR.

Then on Saturday, a second Marjory Stoneman Douglas student died in what police describe as "an apparent suicide."

The student has not been publicly identified. It's not clear under what circumstances the student died, or whether the apparent suicide was related to last year's massacre.

Father was a force for change

After the Sandy Hook massacre, Richman tried to help make sure shootings like the one that killed his daughter wouldn't happen again.

5 years after Sandy Hook, the victims are not forgotten
5 years after Sandy Hook, the victims are not forgotten
The neuroscientist co-founded the The Avielle Foundation, which calls attention to mental health issues through research and community engagement.

"The Avielle Foundation's mission is two-sided. On the one side we have research. We are funding neuroscience research aimed at understanding the brain's chemistry, structure, and circuits that lead to violence and compassion," the foundation's website states.

The other side is "focused on community education and engagement."



Wow all these sucides are happening now for some reason.

Just saw someone else already posted this.

Sorry guys

He was a supporter of a local organization here in Denver that helps survivors

RIP

Neah wrote:

This is awful. Why is happening so often these last days? Poor people, I wish they could get the help they need.

After that one Parkland teen killed themselves, it must've opened a lot of raw wounds for survivors and victims.

That's gotta fucking suck for the family to lose 2 members in such shocking ways in such a close time to one another.

RIP.

Just when the families of victims think things might start to get better, they are thrown right back into mourning again. Awful.

Neah wrote:

This is awful. Why is happening so often these last days? Poor people, I wish they could get the help they need.

I feel like some things cannot be helped & some things can never be resolved.
Still, I wish this man were still alive & coping with his pain somehow.