Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer, a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has died by suicide, his family confirmed. He was 26.
Metayer, who lived in Coral Springs, Florida, died on Dec. 15 following what his family described as a seven-year battle with schizophrenia. His sister, Nancy Metayer Bowen, shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post, remembering her younger brother and thanking the community for its outpouring of support.
“The loss of our family’s youngest child is a sorrow beyond words — one that will echo through our lives, forever,” the family wrote on a GoFundMe page established to help cover funeral expenses and to support the creation of a mental health fund in Donovan’s name.
According to his loved ones, Metayer underwent years of treatment that included therapy and medication. In 2021, during a severe mental health episode, he received involuntary treatment under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows for temporary mental health holds for crisis evaluation and stabilization and temporarily restricts firearm purchases.
Metayer was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman opened fire on February 14, 2018, killing 17 students and staff members and injuring 18 others. He survived the attack, but his family has said the trauma of that day profoundly altered the course of his life. In the years that followed, Metayer faced significant mental health challenges, including repeated hospitalizations and ongoing barriers to care.
Nikolas Cruz, who carried out the shooting using an AR-15–style rifle, was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In announcing her brother’s death, Bowen wrote that the family is establishing a mental health fund to honor Donovan’s life and legacy. The fund aims to expand access to mental health services and support for individuals and families in need.
“As I continue to navigate my grief, I am not in a space to carry conversations at this time,” she wrote. “But please know your kindness has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for holding our family in your thoughts and for honoring Donovan’s memory with such grace, compassion, and love.”
Metayer’s death has renewed conversations around the lasting impact of trauma, the reality of depression and serious mental illness, and the added strain the holiday season can place on those who are struggling.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You are not alone.
