Community activism took a major hit Monday after Marshawn McCarrel, a Columbus, Ohio-based, Black Lives Matter member, died on the steps outside of the Ohio Statehouse, the state highway patrol revealed.
Authorities say that the 23-year-old fatally shot himself with a handgun at around 6 p.m, reported NBC News. No one was at the scene at the time of the shooting, and McCarrel was pronounced dead at the scene.
It's unclear why he decided to commit suicide, as he only left a message just hours before his death on Facebook that read, "My demons won today. I'm sorry."
"Let the record show that I pissed on the state house before I left," his last tweet read.
Let the record show that I pissed on the state house before i left.
— SPICY (@MC_CARREL11) February 8, 2016
With McCarrel dead, there is now a huge void in the activism scene in Columbus. He was an active member of the community, founding the youth mentorship program Pursuing Our Dreams, which launched Feed the Streets, a project aimed at helping Ohio's homeless.
He was also an advocate of racial justice, helping organize demonstrations in Ohio following the 2014 death of Ferguson teen Michael Brown, and was a key figure in raising awareness around the Black Lives Matter movement, according to The Huffington Post.
McCarrel's efforts and contributions to the community weren't overlooked, earning him the recognition of Radio One as a "Hometown Champion" for his great work and activism in the community. In addition to the award, he also won a free trip to last Friday's NAACP Image Awards.
Despite the apparent suicide, police are investigating the incident and considering the circumstances behind his death. Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Craig Cvetan said that it appears no one witnessed the actual act despite the building being open at the time of the shooting, and that McCarrel was seen on the Statehouse grounds shortly before he killed himself.
