Three US military veterans killed themselves within five days of each other at VA treatment facilities in Georgia and Texas, according to a new report.
On April 5, 29-year-old Navy vet Gary Pressley shot himself in a parking lot at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin, GA, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Pressley had been struggling recently with mental health, his mother told a local TV station. His sister said she called the VA moments before his death, saying he was threatening suicide, WMAZ-TV reported.
The next day in Decatur, GA, Olen Hancock, 68, killed himself outside the main entrance to the Atlanta VA medical Center, the newspaper reported.
He was seen pacing the lobby before walking outside and shooting himself, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta.
It’s unclear what branch of the military Hancock served in.
The third suicide happened Tuesday, when an unidentified veteran shot himself in front of hundreds of people in the waiting room at a VA clinic in Austin, Texas.
In the wake of the suicides, Capitol Hill lawmakers called for more services for struggling vets.
“Every new instance of veteran suicide showcases a barrier to access,” said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who serves as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in a statement.
“It’s critical we do more to stop this epidemic.”