Veteran reportedly commits suicide at Philly VA hospital

On Thursday morning a veteran reportedly jumped to his death from a parking garage of a Philadelphia VA hospital. The disabled veteran was seeking psychiatric treatment.

“Authorities on scene would only confirm that the subject was a 5’7” white male,” The Daily Beast reports. “The incident is being investigated by the VA police department because it occurred on federal property.”

Witnesses said they were able to identify the veteran, who has remained unidentified by authorities because of his backpack, which he always carried.

Philadelphia’s Veterans Affairs offices have been recently criticized for its subpar service to veterans and was even called “the most problematic” by Assistant Inspector General Linda Halliday during an extensive congressional hearing.

The suicide rate among veterans nationally is a difficult number to wrestle but recent statistics that have attempted to pin it down put the number at 38.3 suicides per every 100,000 male veterans and 2.8 suicides per every 100,000 females vets.

Matt Lee is a Web producer for Metro New York. He writes about almost everything and anything. Talk to him (or yell at him) on Twitter so he doesn’t feel lonely@mattlee2669.