Hundreds Witness Veteran Shoot And Kill Himself In VA Waiting Room

A veteran reportedly shot himself April 9 in the waiting room of the VA’s Austin Outpatient Clinic in front of hundreds of witnesses. (Veterans Affairs)

A horrific scene unfolded Tuesday in the waiting room of an Austin, Texas, Veterans Affairs clinic when a veteran reportedly shot himself to death in front of hundreds of witnesses.

Many in the building remained unaware of what had occurred for some time after the shooting, KWTX News 10 reported.

One group therapy class continued on for almost an hour after the veteran shot himself.

“All of a sudden, over the intercom, they have this statement about everyone must clear the building including staff, so it was a little surprising,” veteran Ken Walker told News 10.

The hospital was eventually shut down for an investigation by detectives.

Reddit user Diane_Kirkendall shared a photo reportedly taken in the waiting room in the wake of the suicide, with the caption, “Veteran takes his life in front of large American flag. The news won’t post this, they would rather sweep it under the rug and pretend Vet suicide doesn’t happen. There are hundreds of us vets who will never forget what happened yesterday at noon. RIP young brother.”

A grisly scene unfolded in the waiting room of a VA medical center in Austin, Texas, when a veteran shot himself in front of hundreds of witnesses. This photo, shared on Reddit by user Diane_Kirkendall, was reportedly taken in the wake of the shooting. (Reddit)

Despite a surge of veteran suicides on VA campuses, metal detectors have yet to be installed in many of them.

Most clinics instead rely on randomized bag searches.

Between October 2017 and November 2018, 19 veterans died by suicide on the grounds of VA medical facilities in what many believe are final acts of protesting abandonment by a country they served.

Less than a week ago, two veterans from Georgia killed themselves in separate incidents outside VA hospitals.

“For military veterans, access to weapons and familiarity with weapons makes it too easy,” Jack Swope, a licensed professional counselor with Austin’s Samaritan Center, told NBC Austin.

Accessibility is another massive obstacle vets face when seeking care, Swope added.

“There’s a scheduling problem. Part of it is a matter of accessibility, getting there, and frankly part of it is a matter of finances and costs.”

“Suicide prevention is VA’s highest clinical priority,” the VA said in a statement following the incidents in Georgia.

Despite that claim, the VA has been under fire following a December Government Accountability Office report that revealed only $57,000 of the VA’s $6.2 million suicide prevention media budget had actually been used.

Recent government reports show that 530 veterans in Texas died by suicide in 2016 alone, equating to a suicidal likelihood that is double that of the general population.

Representatives from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.

Source: Military Times