As family and friends of beloved soccer player Katie Meyer continue to mourn the loss of the 22-year-old sports star, more information regarding the nature of her death has been released.
The young and promising college undergrad was found dead on March 1 and an investigation was launched to look into the exact cause of her demise.
The college soccer star gained fame for helping her Stanford team win its third NCAA championship three years ago when she made two critical saves at the net during a match against North Carolina.
Katie Meyers died by apparent suicide, according to authorities
A County of Santa Clara spokesperson revealed that Katie’s death was caused by suicide, as authorities said there were no signs of foul play, stating that her injuries were determined to be self-caused.
With a promising soccer career ahead of her, news of her death on Tuesday shook the sport world and Stanford’s college youth to the core.
Stanford University released a statement following the news of Katie’s death, posting a lengthy message of support to the school’s website while encouraging others to speak up if they feel they are in trouble.
“There are no words to express the emptiness that we feel at this moment. We are reaching out to all of you in our community, because this impacts all of us,” the message read.
“Please know you are not alone. There are resources available to support us during this difficult time. We can all help by checking in on friends and loved ones. Be caring to yourselves and one another. We will grieve this great loss together, and we will be here for each other.”
Katie’s parents released a statement about their daughter’s death
Katie’s parents, Steve and Gina Meyer, stopped by the Today show to discuss their daughter’s untimely death and to try to provide encouragement to others going through internal struggles to reach out for help.
“The last couple days are like a parents’ worst nightmare and you don’t wake up from it,” Gina tearfully told Today.
She added that her final conversation with Katie had taken place hours before Katie killed herself but the soccer player hadn’t appeared to be in any kind of distress.
“She was excited. She had a lot on her plate, had a lot going on, but she was happy and in great spirits,” Gina said.
Steve and Gina then told Today they believe Katie may have been driven to suicide after receiving a final disciplinary letter, the last among several the star allegedly was given, regarding her defense of another soccer player.
Her parents said they think the stress of school, sports, and the final straw of the letter could have proven to be too much for Katie and left her feeling she had no way out.
They went on to add they hoped their openness in discussing Katie’s death might help others to come forward if they are feeling the pressures of being perfect.
Katie Meyers’ death is a sad reminder of other lives that have been lost to suicide this year
Sadly, Katie Meyers’ death is not the first suicide to have occurred in the world of celebrities this year.
Actress Regina King suffered an emotional blow in January when her only child, a son named Ian Alexander Jr., died by suicide.
The actress released a statement following news of his death, as reported on by Monsters & Critics, saying, “Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian.”
“He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others,” she continued. “Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you.”
Following his death, fans took his final Tweets as a sign the young musician was in trouble prior to resorting to suicide after Ian shared a photo still from an episode of SpongeBob, writing that he often felt like his brain was also just a jumble of tiny versions of himself running around “losing their s**t.”
Earlier in January, singer Sinead O’Connor’s son, Shane, also died of an apparent suicide. He was found deceased following his mother’s plea with the public to help locate the 17-year-old after he escaped the hospital he had been placed in for suicide watch.
Sinead went on to blame the hospital for its lack of attention and care of her son, furiously scolding them for allowing Shane to have escaped in the first place when staff knew he was at risk of taking his own life.
The singer has been prone to bouts of mental health crises herself, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003.
No further details have been released regarding the exact nature of Shane’s death.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Someone better explain the METHOD of suicide. Intended or accidental?