A military veteran wanted by police was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a parked vehicle this week at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in the latest of a string of suicides connected to the VA Loma Linda Health Care System.
The man, who is in his mid-30s, had an outstanding arrest warrant and officers had been searching for him when they located his vehicle in the parking lot about 3:15 p.m. Sunday, March 30, San Bernardino police Lt. Jennifer Kohrell said.
The man’s identity and the criminal charges he faced were not disclosed. Information was not immediately available regarding why the veteran’s vehicle was in the VA Loma Linda parking lot and whether he was a patient at the hospital.
The San Bernardino County coroner’s office is investigating the death.
Karandeep Sraon, medical director of the VA Loma Linda Health Care System, notified employees of the death in a Monday memo.
“We understand that this news is deeply upsetting, and we want to assure you that we are taking every necessary step to handle the situation with the utmost care and respect,” said Sraon, who add that VA Loma Linda’s suicide prevention team has been mobilized to provide support for staff. “As we process this difficult event, we encourage everyone to lean on each other and seek support as needed.”
The man’s death is the latest in a string of suicides involving patients and staff at VA Loma Linda.
On Jan. 27, Cody Anderson, a former Marine with PTSD who suffered with anxiety and severe insomnia, died at his Lake Elsinore home after suffocating himself with a plastic bag, his mother, Connie Anderson, said Tuesday. Her son had been hospitalized twice at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans’ Hospital for suicidal ideations and then released, she said. The VA later denied his request for a referral to private drug rehab facility, she added.
In December 2024, Paul Alexander Warren, a 58-year-old Navy veteran and former inventory management specialist arrested for the fatal stabbing of his boss, Joshua Watson, died after hanging himself in a jail cell.
In another instance, Ryan Joseph Sperry, a 43-year-old former Marine and VA Loma Linda irrigation technician with PTSD who had purportedly endured three years of harassment and retaliation at work, died in 2022 after shooting himself the head.
In October 2021, following the death of yet another veteran by suicide on the VA Loma Linda campus, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, said more must be done to address the mental health needs of those who have served in the military.
“We have taken important steps and made significant progress through various bills and hearings, but as long as 17 veterans die by suicide each day, our work will not be finished,” Takano said in a statement at the time, though he did not disclose the veteran’s identity for privacy reasons. “It will take all of us — legislators, policymakers, researchers, military and veteran peers, caregivers, advocates, and VA staff — working together to reduce veteran suicide.”
The VA Loma Linda suicides are among a growing national trend involving veterans.
In 2022, the most recent year in which statistics are available, suicide was the 12th-leading cause of death for all veterans and the second leading cause of death for those under the age of 45, according to a VA report.
There were 6,407 veteran suicides in 2022, three more than in 2021. Of that number, 6,136 were male and 271 were female, the report states.
From 2009 through 2022, suicide rates were about 75% higher among male and female veterans with a history of military sexual trauma than those without such trauma. Recognizing that many survivors of sexual trauma do not disclose their experiences unless asked, the VA requires all veterans seen for health care to be screened for military sexual trauma, the report states.
The report also found in 2022 that suicide risks for veterans with mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders were 91% greater than those without those conditions.
Research also indicates LGBTQ+ veterans die by suicide at approximately twice the rate of the general population of veterans who utilize VA health services.
“Additionally, chronic prejudice and discrimination contribute to poor mental health, increasing the likelihood of self harm,” the report states.
The VA’s Office of Suicide Prevention has implemented initiatives to support veterans at risk of suicide, including:
- Promoting secure firearm storage.
- Building community collaborations to identify and help veterans at risk for suicide.
- Expanding crisis intervention services.
- Tailoring prevention and intervention services.
- Advancing suicide prevention beyond clinical settings.
- Embedding suicide prevention strategies in medical settings for access to all veterans.
“By integrating data-driven insights with community-based resources, VA enhances its capacity to identify, connect, and support at-risk veterans,” the report states. “Together, we can create a compassionate, supportive network to empower veterans, reassure them help is available, they are valued, and there is hope.”
How to get help
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, mental health resources are available, including free and low-cost services. They include:
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org
- Crisis Text Line: CrisisTextLine.org
- Know the Signs: SuicideIsPreventable.org
- The Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Resources and Programs page: SPRC.org/resources-programs
- The Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net
- Born This Way Foundation’s Get Help Now page: BornThisWay.foundation/get-help-now
- Hayden’s Corner: HaydensCorner.org