A father who dedicated his life to helping prevent mass shootings after his daughter was gunned down in the Sandy Hook massacre has died of an apparent suicide.
According to CNN, citing Newtown police sources, 49-year-old Jeremy Richman’s body was found in his office building in Connecticut on Monday morning.
A neuroscientist by trade, Richman was the father of 6-year-old Avielle Richman, one of the 20 children shot dead in 2012 by Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Jeremy Richman, a father of a 6-year-old girl killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, was found dead Monday from an apparent suicide, police say https://t.co/ZIWpes3kZP pic.twitter.com/k4HTVgeEdp
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) March 25, 2019
Following the massacre, Richman co-founded the Avielle Foundation, a nonprofit named after his daughter that tried to tackle violence through community engagement and research.
Speaking after his death, the foundation said: “Our hearts are shattered, and our heads are struggling to comprehend.”
It went on to describe Richman as “a champion father,” on a mission to help “uncover the neurological underpinnings of violence”.
Remembering Jeremy Richman, PhD, a neuropharmacologist, Newtown parent, and advocate. Via @nytimes https://t.co/woNjZIJVOd
— Yale School of Medicine (@YaleMed) March 25, 2019
“Jeremy was deeply devoted to supporting research into brain abnormalities that are linked to abnormal behavior and to promoting brain health. Tragically, his death speaks to how insidious and formidable a challenge brain health can be and how critical it is for all of us to seek help for ourselves, our loved ones and anyone who we suspect may be in need,” the foundation said in a statement.
“Jeremy’s mission will be carried on by the many who love him, including many who share the heartache and trauma that he has suffered since December 14, 2012. We are crushed to pieces, but this important work will continue, because, as Jeremy would say, we have to.”
All told, 20 children and six adults died in the Sandy Hook shooting, which remains one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. The fact that the effects are still being felt today is evidence of the harrowing nature of the crimes committed that day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jeremy Richman’s friends and family.
Please share this article in memory of Jeremy Richman and all the innocents who lost their lives at Sandy Hook.
