Donovan Metayer GoFundMe: Parkland school shooting survivor dies by suicide after 'lasting trauma,’ schizophrenia battle

A subsister of the Parkland school shooting has died by suicide years after the 2018 tragedy, his family has announced. Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer, 26, was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when Nikolas Cruz went on a deadly rampage, killing 17 students and staff members.

Metayer died following a seven-year battle with schizophrenia that started after the shooting, his sister, Nancy Metayer Bowen, said on Facebook. “On Monday, December 15th, my baby brother, Donovan, committed suicide after a seven-year battle with schizophrenia,” she wrote, sharing the link to a GoFundMe launched for her brother.

The GoFundMe described Metayer, lovingly called Donny, as “a radiant child” who “excelled academically, with an intellect matched only by a magnetic humor and warmth that could light up any room, effortlessly.” The page noted how Metayer’s senior year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was marked by the shooting, adding, “The trauma of that day and the loss of classmates lingered long after graduation and profoundly altered the course of his life.”

The statement on the GoFundMe page added, “In the months that followed, Donny began to withdraw. Depression, guilt, emotional instability, and long periods of isolation replaced the vibrant young man we once knew. Though he had dreamt of college and a future in computer science, his worsening mental health made those dreams difficult to reach. Over 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.”

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It further said, “Treatment—therapy, medication, and constant adjustments—was a journey marked by exhaustion. Donny 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.”

Metayer was given treatment under Florida’s Baker Act following a mental health episode in 2021. This meant he was placed under an involuntary hold to receive an emergency mental health assessment and treatment. He was also barred from purchasing a firearm through a Risk Protection Order as part of the Baker Act.

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Metayer later began working with the Henderson Clinic and a private psychiatrist, which “became a lifeline,” the page said. His life began getting better, and his progress gave his family hope.

“But earlier this month, upon learning that his Risk Protection Order had lapsed, Donny purchased a handgun at a local gun shop. A week later, he would use that same handgun to take his own life in our family home,” the statement added.

“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,” added the statement. “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 GoFundMe seeks to raise funds to help the Metayer family with the celebration of life services. The money will also be used to “endow a fund at the Henderson Clinic that will provide healthcare, housing, and hope for people of all ages with behavioral health conditions throughout Florida.”

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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