Suicides – COOPER GENERAL NEWS

Supporters of Donald Trump gather outside the Capitol building in Washington D.C., on January 06, 2021.

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Two more Washington, D.C., police officers died by suicide in the months after defending the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot by Trump supporters, bringing the grim tally of such deaths to four.

One of those cops, 43-year-old Gunther Hashida, was found dead at his home last Thursday, according to a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan [D.C.] Police Department.

Hashida, joined the MPD in May 2003, and most recently was assigned to the emergency response team within the Special Operations Division.

Hours later, the MPD confirmed that another officer from the same department, Kyle deFreytag, died by suicide, and was found July 10.

DeFreytag, 26, had been with the department since November 2016.

A crowdfunding page set up Sunday to pay for a memorial service for Hashida, and to support his family, as of Monday night had raised more than $68,000 from more than 1,500 donors.

The GoFundMe page, which has a $250,000 donation target, said Hashida “leaves behind a loving wife, sister, 3 children, and a wonderful family.”

An online obituary for deFreytag said he “liked hiking, camping, riding his motorcycle, he liked traveling and playing the drums, he enjoyed trying different ethnic foods and always knew the best places to eat.”

“Kyle was kind, he had a quick wit and a great sense of humor & kept us laughing for 26 years,” the obituary said.

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The riot began after then-President Donald Trump urged attendees at a rally outside the White House to march to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress was meeting to officially confirm the Electoral College victory of Joe Biden as the next president.

Hundreds of Trump supporters invaded the Capitol grounds and buildings, disturbing the proceedings.

More than 500 people have been arrested for alleged crimes related to the invasion.

About 140 officers from both the Capitol Police and the D.C. department were injured in the melee.

At a congressional hearing last week, four officers described being attacked, berated and threatened with death by throngs of people, many of whom were wielding weapons.

“I was at risk of being stripped of and killed with my own firearm, as I heard chants of, ‘Kill him with his own gun,'” MPD Officer Michael Fanone testified.

Another cop, Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, vented frustration at the hearing at some members of Congress who have downplayed the danger from the riot.

“The same people who we helped, the same people who we gave them the borrowed time to get to safety, now they are attacking us, they are attacking our characters,” Gonell said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a statement issued after Hashida’s death was reported, but before DeFreytag’s suicide became public, said, “On behalf of the House of Representatives, I send deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Metropolitan Police Department Officer Gunther Hashida.”

“Officer Hashida was a hero, who risked his life to save our Capitol, the Congressional community and our very Democracy,” said Pelosi, D-Calif. “All Americans are indebted to him for his great valor and patriotism on January 6th and throughout his selfless service.”

“May Officer Hashida’s life be an inspiration to all to protect our Country and Democracy. And may it be a comfort to Officer Hashida’s family that so many mourn their loss and pray for them at this sad time.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

That fall, when most school districts decided not to reopen, more parents spoke up. The parents of a 14-year-old boy in Maryland who killed himself in October described their son “giving up” after his district decided not to return in the fall. In December, an 11-year-old boy shot himself dead while in his zoom class in Sacramento. Weeks later, the father of a teenager in Maine attributed his son’s suicide to the pandemic’s isolation.

“We knew he was upset because he could no longer participate in his school activity, soccer,” Jay Smith told a local TV station. “We never thought it was that bad.”

President Biden has put in place a solid plan to expedite vaccinations, expand coronavirus testing, and spend billions of dollars to help district reopen most of their schools in his first 100 days in office.

By then, children in districts like Clark County with more than 300,000 students will not have attended school for more than a year.

“It feels like we’re running out of time every day,” said Dr. Jara.

On the road to the pandemic, youth suicide rates had increased for a decade. Until 2018, suicide was the second leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults after accidents. And the latest Behavioral Risk Survey, published last year by the CDC, which tracks student health trends, shows that the percentage of students who reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness has increased steadily over the past decade, as well as at those who planned and attempted suicide.

Districts have been reporting suicide clusters since the lockdowns, said Dr. Massetti of the CDC, and many said they had difficulty connecting students to services.

“Without personal tuition, there is a void that is not being filled right now,” she said.

Suzie Button, the senior clinical director for high school programs at the Jed Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit engaged in suicide prevention, said hundreds of schools and colleges – including Clark County’s – are involved with of the organization have partnered to provide better service to students during this time of the pandemic.