SANTA MONICA—The parent of a student attending John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica shot and killed himself on the school grounds on June 23. The victim has been identified as Daniel Callahan, 54, the Santa Monica Observer reported. There were no reports of any other injuries during the incident.
Ben Drati Superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District issued a statement to the public following the incident.
“We are devastated by this loss of a community member and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority and we continue to work with local law enforcement officials and mental health professionals to address concerns our students and families are dealing with.”
A webpage has been created to celebrate Callahan’s life at ForeverMissed.com. His friend, Mo Mellady posted the following message on the page:
“Daniel & I talked for hours on the phone every single week, especially since Nov. 2016. We both were each other’s confidantes. His son, Liam, was his raison d’etre. Even with Daniel’s own health battles (polymyocitis, GI issues) the convo was always about Liam, his pride and joy. He was a devoted father; it was his true purpose. I’ll be writing my own private journal about the unjustified cruelty, manipulative mind games, lies, and horrors Daniel endured, because that was his final request. I owe him that. His passing is beyond tragic. Suffice to say, Daniel died of a broken heart.”
For those struggling with suicidal thoughts or aware of someone struggling The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-8255.
