A young man who was a “radiant” child according to family and friends, has died.
Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer, 26, died on Dec. 15 by suicide. Metayer, who survived the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, suffered from mental health episodes following the tragic incident and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The shooting occurred during Metayer’s senior year, when most students are thinking about college applications and their life after high school.
But the shooting, which claimed the lives of 17 people, had a profound effect on Metayer and stands as an example of how the trauma of gun violence can linger on for years.
The youngest child of the Metayer family, Donovan was brilliant from an early age and excelled academically. His humor, according to a GoFundMe page dedicated in his honor, could “light up any room.”
In the years following the Parkland shooting, Metayer’s dreams of attending college and working in his preferred career field of computer science began to fade. On multiple occasions, he would be hospitalized for suicidal ideation and after one mental health episode in 2021, he was Baker-acted and deemed temporarily unable to purchase a firearm.
Years later, with the help of a private psychiatrist and the Henderson Clinic Metayer began making progress and healing. He’d soon work at Office Depot and earn a promotion and an IT certificate. His mental health journey echoes that of many Black boys across America, masking emotions and not wanting to be seen as a “burden” by family. Treatment, from therapy to medication, may seem like a difficult path thanks to limited resources, social stigmas and more.
However, just as Metayer was progressing and gaining more independence according to his family, he soon learned his Risk Protective Order had lapsed.
Metayer then purchased a gun from a gun shop in the area and within a week, he turned the gun on himself.
In a statement shared on his GoFundMe page, Donovan’s family wrote, ” Donny’s passing is a heartbreaking reminder of the mental health crisis plaguing our youth and the lasting trauma of gun violence on our community. As we grieve his loss, we are breaking the code of silence in his memory. Though Donny’s life was brief, his impact will be everlasting.”
The family is asking for funds to assist for Metayer’s celebration of life and endow a fund at the Henerson Clinic that will “provide healthcare, housing and hope for people of all ages with behavioral health conditions” throughout the state of Florida.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
