An attorney in Lexington County, South Carolina committed suicide over the weekend, according to the county coroner’s office.
Jim O’Connor – who runs a successful practice in Lexington, S.C. – died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, according to a report prepared by the office of Lexington County coroner Margaret Fisher. He leaves behind three young daughters over whom he had sole custody – twin girls who are both 15 years old and a younger daughter who is 11 years old.
Readers will recall O’Connor, 46, was involved in an incident last April involving a firearm, but those charges were dropped earlier this year. A civil case for an alleged assault was filed against him in 2019, but that action was dismissed last January.
O’Connor’s website biography refers to him as a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who participated in Operation Desert Shield/ Storm. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina law school who did his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina Charlotte.
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“He was always nice to deal with,” a family lawyer who worked with O’Connor told me early Monday.
As is our custom in reporting on suicides, if anyone reading this post is dealing with issues that have them questioning whether to take their own life (or attempt harming themselves), please – call a friend.
You can also reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-TALK.
Remember, “you are not alone … you are never alone.”
This news outlet has been informed that efforts are underway to organize some assistance for O’Connor’s daughters – especially as they now are less than three weeks away from facing Christmas without their father and primary caregiver.
UPDATE: O’Connor’s brother has established a GoFundMe page for his young nieces.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: FITSNews)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that Chicago Blackhawks’ lid pictured above).
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