Jeremy Richman Obituary, Death – Jeremy Richman, 49, died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, after his six-year-old daughter Avielle was killed. Avielle was one of 20 first-graders and six adults who were killed in the shooting. Richman, a neuro-pharmacologist, established the Avielle Foundation in memory of his daughter to investigate the brain science behind violent tendencies, as well as to provide community outreach and brain health education. According to police, he died at the age of 49 from an apparent suicide at Edmond Town Hall in Newtown. The cause of death is still being investigated by the medical examiner.
If you know someone who is suicidal, do not leave him or her alone. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. The Lifeline offers free, confidential support to people in crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Lifeline’s online chat service is available to those who prefer to communicate online rather than over the phone. “My wife and I are scientists,” says Jeremy Richman of the Avielle Foundation. Faced with this never-ending heartbreak, we decided to take a scientific approach to fund research into the risk factors and brain changes that lead to violence.” —Interview with the newspaper Spokane Inlander (2018)
“There are no words to express the tragic weight of today’s news,” they wrote. Jeremy Richman was a wonderful husband, father, and friend to many people. I consider myself lucky to have him as a friend…. I’m not going to speculate on why Jeremy committed suicide, except to say that none of us can comprehend the magnitude of loss he carried with him after the death of his beautiful daughter, Avielle.” —Daniel Rosenthal, First Selectman of Newtown
“He was so certain of how he wanted to honor his daughter…. I’m stunned. Right now, I’m sobbing in my car. The foundation was doing fantastic and important work.” — According to the Hartford Courant, a family member of one of the Sandy Hook shooting victims