TAMPA, Fla. — Two sheriff's offices in Florida are coping after the tragic loss of deputies within their agencies.
Over this past weekend, the bodies of two Hillsborough County deputies were discovered at a vacation rental home in St. Augustine, a news release from the sheriff's office reports.
Preliminary information shows the two deputies, who were in a romantic relationship, were heard arguing in a bedroom by fellow deputies on vacation with them just before gunshots fired, the media release explains. Both of them were found with fatal gunshot wounds. The sheriff's office says it appears Detective Daniel Leyden died by suicide and was the only shooter.
The St. Johns Sheriff's Office is conducting the investigation and declined to provide any more details on the case as of Monday afternoon.
Earlier this month, a 1-month-old baby of two St. Lucie County deputies lost both parents when they died by suicide just days apart from each other.
"My goodness, what a terrible year for Florida," said Steven Hough, the co-founder at First H.E.L.P., an organization aimed at honoring first responders who died by suicide and getting mental health resources to them to prevent tragedies.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, law enforcement officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
Hough believes agencies are trying but need to do even more to get resources to deputies and officers earlier and more frequently and have an open line of communication with families of law enforcement.
"More so than not, we see there’s telltale signs that there were things that were not right. Whether it be guys showing up late to work, performance is not what it used to be, things we need to keep an eye on," he said.
Hough says the tragedies involving Hillsborough deputies and St. Lucie deputies could have been prevented, and we must do more as a society to offer help.
Peer support is a fast-growing approach. Manuel Alejandro Guevara Ruiz is the veteran ambassador at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. He responds specifically to calls from veterans and first responders.
"We’re just a bit different, and we can talk with each other a little bit different," said Alejandro Guevara Ruiz, a former combat veteran.
He also explained that mental illness can often intersect with other problems such as domestic violence.
"Perhaps the root of the problem is all that vicarious trauma that we spoke about, not kept in check or dealt with," he said.
All of the mental health advisors we talked with Monday pushed a common theme — find the listening ear you need, or be the listening ear.
Natasha Pierre, a long-time mental health counselor said this:
"Recognizing that when someone tells you they’re feeling depressed, hopeless, or having a tough day, that’s not a code for 'tell me how amazing my life is.' It’s usually the first step in a cry for help."
Alejandro Guevara Ruiz put it this way:
"If you just let me talk and listen to me and talk with me and understand what I’m trying to say, I, as a human, will feel heard. I will feel supported. I will feel accompanied. I will no longer feel alone."
NAMI Hillsborough offers many ways to get help if you are struggling to deal with all of the anxiety and uncertainty with support groups and classes.
You can reach the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay 24/7 by dialing 211. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.