Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer, a survivor of the devastating 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, has died by suicide at the age of 26. His family announced that he passed away on December 15, following a 7-year battle with schizophrenia triggered by the trauma of the Valentine’s Day massacre.
Metayer was a senior at the high school on February 14, 2018, when a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others. Described by his family as a “radiant child” who was brilliant and academically gifted, with a magnetic humor and warmth that could light up any room, affectionately known as “Donny,” he saw his life profoundly altered by the event. The trauma led to withdrawal, depression, guilt, emotional instability, & isolation in the months that followed.
His dreams of attending college and pursuing a career in computer science faded as his mental health deteriorated. Over the years, he faced multiple hospitalizations for suicidal ideation and struggled to accept his diagnosis. In 2021, a severe episode resulted in him being placed under Florida’s Baker Act, temporarily barring him from purchasing firearms through a Risk Protection Order…