Patrick died tragically by gun suicide at the age of 18 after a girl whom he was trying to break up with bullied him online. At that time in Colorado, an 18-year-old could purchase a long gun. Patrick exercised his right to purchase a long gun just a couple days after he turned 18. I was concerned about safety. He assured me that he had also purchased a gun cabinet and that the gun would be safely stored. It was for 9 months.
Patrick’s suicide happened after hours of online messaging with the girl. At one point, Patrick said goodbye and there was a lull in the chat. He returned and said, “That’s it, you’re not even going to try to stop me?” To which she responded that she didn’t believe that he would kill himself. Then she said, “In fact, no one believes you’ll do it.” Then she named five of Patrick’s friends and told him, “None of them believe you.”
My son, Patrick, typed the letter K in the keyboard and used that long gun to complete suicide. This was a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Missed, loved, and never forgotten.