Activist MarShawn McCarrel receives nationwide coverage

Social media saw on outpouring of emotion following the death of Columbus activist MarShawn McCarrel, whose story was spread nationwide by media outlets like the New York Daily News, VICE, and entertainment website Heavy.

According to reports, McCarrel fatally shot himself on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse on Monday evening.

His last Facebook status read: “My demons won today. I’m sorry.”

On Twitter, his last post read, “Let the record show that I pissed on the state house before I left.”

Well-known in Columbus for his efforts in community mentorship through the organization Pursuing Our Dreams, and for feeding the homeless through “Feed The Streets” charitable events, thousands of people nationwide expressed empathy and disbelief on social media, while over 200 people have donated to his legacy fund.

McCarrel also voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter movement since its inception in 2014.

“You only fear what you don’t know,” McCarrel told Columbus Alive in 2014. “We need to learn each other, especially those who are in a position of power. We need to learn about the people whose lives are in our hands.”

Pursuing Our Dreams is still planning on hosting a Feed The Streets event on Saturday February 20 to give back to the West Side of Columbus.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the Franklin County Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-221-5445.

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