I am a gun violence survivor by suicide. My mom killed herself with a gun when I was two, on Valentine’s Day. I turned three a couple months later. I came to find out she had schizophrenia and was an alcoholic. I did not know this until around the age of 10. This is also the time I myself was diagnosed with ADHD. Then later on diagnosed with bipolar.
I made a commitment that I was not going to follow in her footsteps, and would go out and spread awareness about people with mental illness and the effects it might have on a person. And I’d try to bring awareness of how one possibly might commit suicide if they are in a crisis.