The father of a child who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting attack has been found dead in Newtown, Conn., from an apparent suicide.
The Danbury News-Times reports that Jeremy Richman, 49, of Newtown, was found by police and paramedics around 7 a.m. Monday in Edmond Town Hall in Newtown.
He was the father of Avielle Richman, a first-grader killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting attack.
Police say they found a note at the scene, but have not disclosed what it said.
“This is a heartbreaking event for the Richman family and the Newtown Community as a whole,” Newtown Police Lt. Lt. Aaron Bahamonde said on the department’s Facebook page. “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.”
After his daughter’s death, Richman co-founded the Avielle Foundation to conduct brain research into the roots of violence. The foundation uses community engagement, education and brain research to prevent violence and build compassion.
Richman was a neuropharmacologist with more than 20 years of experience in research and drug discovery. He studied neuroscience, as well as researching various ailments, such as diabetes and kidney disease. He enjoyed rock climbing and teaching martial arts, according to the Avielle Foundation’s website.
Richman’s death comes in the wake of the suicides of two teenagers who survived the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
