{"id":36336,"date":"2025-12-23T00:25:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T00:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336"},"modified":"2025-12-23T00:25:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T00:25:28","slug":"parkland-school-shooting-survivor-donovan-metayer-dies-by-suicide-as-family-shares-new-details","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336","title":{"rendered":"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details"},"content":{"rendered":"

Donovan Metayer survived the horrific shooting at Parkland High School, where 17 people lost their lives. Now, his family has shared heartbreaking news that the 26-year-old has taken his own life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 17 people died, and 18 were injured in what is the worst school shooting in US history.<\/p>\n

Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer was one of the students who survived. Sadly, his family has now shared an update that the 26-year-old, who had suffered from schizophrenia for years, has taken his own life.<\/p>\n

His sister, Nancy, shared the news on Facebook that her brother, who lived in Coral Springs, Florida, died on December 15 by suicide.<\/p>\n

Donovan was working as an IT professional. He was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when the mass shooter opened fire. The family has started a\u00a0GoFundMe<\/a>\u00a0to help cover the 26-year-old\u2019s funeral costs.<\/p>\n

Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide<\/h2>\n

Also, money will be donated to an organization that assists people with behavioral health conditions in Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe loss of our family\u2019s youngest child is a sorrow beyond words \u2014 one that will echo through our lives, forever,\u201d his family wrote. \u201cYet even in our grief, we are choosing to speak Donovan\u2019s truth, so that other families do not have to suffer in silence the way we have,\u201d the family continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe baby of the Metayer family, \u2018Donny,\u2019 as he was affectionately called, was a radiant child. Brilliant and curious, he always excelled academically, with an intellect matched only by a magnetic humor and warmth that could light up any room, effortlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Donovan
Donovan Metayer. Credit: GoFundMe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Donovan Metayer\u2019s family shared details of the boy\u2019s final year of high school, and that he \u201ccarried unimaginable sorrow\u201d after the horrific school shooting.<\/p>\n

He suffered from severe mental health issues, including \u201cdepression, guilt, emotional instability, and long periods of isolation [which] replaced the vibrant young man we once knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStruggled to accept a mental health diagnosis\u201d<\/h2>\n

He underwent years of treatment, his family explained, and after an incident in 2021, he received involuntary treatment under Florida\u2019s Baker Act, a law enforcement official, health professional, or judge placed him on a temporary, involuntary mental health hold for crisis evaluation and stabilization. It also barred him from purchasing a firearm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough he had dreamt of college and a future in computer science, his worsening mental health made those dreams difficult to reach,\u201d the family further wrote. \u201cOver the years that followed, he would be hospitalized multiple times for suicidal ideation. Like so many young people, he struggled to accept a mental health diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Donovan
Donovan Metayer. Credit: GoFundMe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cDonny often masked his pain to not burden those he loved, even as our family fought alongside him. Finding care through limited resources, systemic barriers, and the realities of navigating mental health crises as a young Black man made his path all the more steep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanking health clinic and psychiatrist<\/h2>\n

Donovan Metayer and his family eventually became involved with the Henderson Behavioral Health Clinic and a private psychiatrist, both of which became \u201ca lifeline, offering guidance, compassion, and hope for his future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith their support, Donny began to heal, earning an IT certificate and joining the team at Office Depot in Coral Springs, where he was quickly promoted,\u201d the family wrote on the GoFundMe. \u201cAfter years of challenges, he was beginning to carve out a sense of independence and a future he could believe in. His progress was a source of immense pride for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donovan was able to purchase a handgun earlier this month as the Risk Protection Order lapsed, his family said. It\u2019s unclear whether a gun is connected to his suicide.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Rest in peace, Donovan Metayer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Donovan Metayer survived the horrific shooting at Parkland High School, where 17 people lost their lives. Now, his family has shared heartbreaking news that the 26-year-old has taken his own life. In 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 17 people died, and 18 were injured in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,17,11,20,24,15,12,25,22,18,16,21,14,23,13],"class_list":["post-36336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-diseases","tag-fitness","tag-health-tips","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-healthy-living","tag-medical-advice","tag-medical-awareness","tag-medical-research","tag-mental-health","tag-nutrition","tag-patient-care","tag-preventive-care","tag-public-health","tag-wellness"],"yoast_head":"\nParkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details - VM News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details - VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Donovan Metayer survived the horrific shooting at Parkland High School, where 17 people lost their lives. Now, his family has shared heartbreaking news that the 26-year-old has taken his own life. In 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 17 people died, and 18 were injured in...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-23T00:25:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"vmfavorite\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"vmfavorite\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"vmfavorite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\"},\"headline\":\"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-23T00:25:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\"},\"wordCount\":642,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Chronic Diseases\",\"Fitness\",\"Health Tips\",\"Healthcare Technology\",\"Healthy Lifestyle\",\"Healthy Living\",\"Medical Advice\",\"Medical Awareness\",\"Medical Research\",\"Mental Health\",\"Nutrition\",\"Patient Care\",\"Preventive Care\",\"Public Health\",\"Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\",\"name\":\"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details - VM News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-23T00:25:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/\",\"name\":\"VM News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\",\"name\":\"vmfavorite\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"vmfavorite\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details - VM News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details - VM News","og_description":"Donovan Metayer survived the horrific shooting at Parkland High School, where 17 people lost their lives. Now, his family has shared heartbreaking news that the 26-year-old has taken his own life. In 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 17 people died, and 18 were injured in...","og_url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336","og_site_name":"VM News","article_published_time":"2025-12-23T00:25:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":750,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"vmfavorite","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"vmfavorite","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336"},"author":{"name":"vmfavorite","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad"},"headline":"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details","datePublished":"2025-12-23T00:25:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336"},"wordCount":642,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg","keywords":["Chronic Diseases","Fitness","Health Tips","Healthcare Technology","Healthy Lifestyle","Healthy Living","Medical Advice","Medical Awareness","Medical Research","Mental Health","Nutrition","Patient Care","Preventive Care","Public Health","Wellness"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336","url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336","name":"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details - VM News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-23T00:25:28+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/600926041_1291077723051254_8486695931365207454_n.jpg","width":750,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=36336#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Parkland school shooting survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide as family shares new details"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/","name":"VM News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad","name":"vmfavorite","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"vmfavorite"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/news-vm.com"],"url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36336"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36338,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36336\/revisions\/36338"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}