KTVZ meterologist Russell Bird, 27, commits suicide

[Guest NewsHound]

I tried to pass by the comments of News Hound by I couldn't let it slide so easily at all.

 

Let me start by saying, What the hell is wrong with you, News Hound!

 

Your comments were some of the most Stupidest and Selfish comments I've ever seen written on this page ever! And I'm talking about nearly a decade here for me at least.

 

So your thought process is in short, "Hey Let me attack this guy, FOR ACTUALLY ASKING FOR HELP!" I.e . The one thing we want someone to do! I don't give a damn if he ask for it once or several times... HE ASKING FOR HELP! We seen in the Russell Bird situation he did ask for help on facebook with his friends. They thought it was career advice. We now know it was something much more darker than that.

 

Two, it is NOT your damn place to call someone out over something like this. It never was! You don't have that damn right to do it at all! You were totally in the wrong and you refuse to see it! There is some things in life you just have to shut the hell up on! This was one of them! because now it isn't just a couple of people that are looking out on this, it is this WHOLE community is looking for signs now and now we are all aware what is up!

 

Three, It is MY sympathies, I'll do whatever the hell I want to do with them! If I want to help my fellow colleague, I'm going to help them, Your thoughts or opinions be damned! Again, It NOT your place to tell me how I should or should not feel about something. Overall we did the right thing by leading him to the National Suicide Prevention hotline and we did it bluntly too in that old TVNT way. It was not for just WSVN but for other people who may be reading it and say "Hey i'm in that same place in life let me call that number and get the help I need"

 

Again for those who missed it it's 1-800-273-8255. Call it because they are professionals at what they do. Unlike you and us!

 

 

I'll finish with what I said before in my first post, I don't want another Russell, I don't to be here again in few years while we are saying "What could've been done to stop it? What could they do help it? What signs did they miss?" Those who are grieving in that newsroom are asking those questions right now but instead of "they" they are replacing it with " I " and the truth is "They didn't know what was happening at all." When you don't know you can't help the situation.

 

Being someone who struggles with severe depression, that comment NewsHound left just got to me - look, it's not WSVN saying "ME ME ME IT'S ALL ABOUT ME". If you look at the numbers, even the National Institute of Mental Health says that an estimated 15.7 million people over 18 struggle with it in the US - that is quite a lot of people. You may or may not know what it's like to feel this way, but it's just about the most horrible thing you can feel.

 

Again, if you have suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1 (800) 273-8255. They're available 24/7 and can help you in your time of need. There's a TON of resources out there, so don't be afraid to look them up!

 

FORGIVE ME FOR HAVING AN OPINION?! You don't think I know what struggle is? I used to inflict pain on myself, I used to do the whole self-harm thing. I was on antidepressant after antidepressant, bipolar medications, nothing helped. I nearly took my life a couple times and realized that there is more to life that I need to see, I became optimistic. I sought help.

 

HOW DARE YOU say I am not caring about this!!

 

Weeters, please delete my account. I am not returning to this site again. I did nothing wrong, I know the struggle and the pain WSVNFan is experiencing. I urge everyone to get help if they need the help, but YOU HAVE TO WANT TO GET HELP.

 

If you need help, dial that toll-free number, I swear by it. Communicate with your friends and family. If you don't, how can anyone know if something is wrong and how can anyone help you?

 

How would you react in a situation when you've tried helping someone for a long time over and over, he tells you he's fine and he won't talk to you and then he comes on here and begs for help... Like for serious?!

 

He's wanting attention. I don't feel like I was wrong in calling him out on it. There were better ways he could have handled it, and there were better ways I could have handled it. I admit this public calling out thing may not have been the smartest idea, but what is done is done.

 

I don't need to prove to you all that I'm right in my actions.

[ColumbusNewsFan 217]

antidepressant, bipolar medications, nothing helped. I nearly took my life a couple times and realized that there is more to life that I need to see, I became optimistic. I sought help.

 

HOW DARE YOU say I am not caring about this!!

 

Weeters, please delete my account. I am not returning to this site again. I did nothing wrong, I know the struggle and the pain WSVNFan is experiencing. I urge everyone to get help if they need the help, but YOU HAVE TO WANT TO GET HELP.

 

If you need help, dial that toll-free number, I swear by it. Communicate with

 

I don't need to prove to you all that I'm right in my actions.

 

And you are still a douce proven by your self righteous statement and good riddance and I hope the hit you where he hit ya.

[TriangleTriadMediaNews 267]

It's scary when you actually think ending your life is the best option around and as I've said before on this thread, I was scared to fucking death to ever make the call to the hotline I did, but the guy who answered my call, Tony (I will never forget his name as long as I live), talked with me and made me feel a hell of a lot better in the course of an hour or so that we talked.

 

I would love to see more TV and radio stations do PSAs for suicide awareness, it can save lives to mention the resources available to anyone who needs them, especially for younger people who are afraid that their parents would find out, it would cost them to call, etc.

 

#SaveALife

[WFTV Channel 9 80]

I'm sorry for bumping this thread but I do want to say something here that is on my mind at the current moment.

 

First of all, I wanna say that I would like to say that I am sadden by the loss of Russell Bird and wish his family, friends, KTVZ, and the entire community the best in these tough times.

 

Secondly, for those that are thinking suicide, don't do it. Suicide never is the right path to choose. There is hope. If you are dealing with thoughts get help. If you know someone who is suicidal, give them help. The Suicide Hotline that others have mentioned is a great tool for help. Suicide hurts more than one can see. Look in the case with Russell Bird. Now we have family, coworkers, friends and loyal viewers of KTVZ that are saddened with the loss. Suicide is such a sad thing to do and I don't want to see any names on it whether it'd be here or anywhere.

 

Thirdly, I've been on these forums since 2010, and the comments here are some of the worst and insensitive comments I have ever seen here. I felt disgusted and upset after reading them. Some of the stuff said should not have been said and kept to themselves. We all have learned growing up that some words shouldn't be said and that there are words that are wrong to say at times. The words said in a few comments in this thread are those wrong words. I'm not gonna lie, I'm deeply ashamed in some of the comments said in a forum that is really civil.

 

There's my two cents in everything.

[Melinda Bird 4]

In case anyone is still reading this thread, after three months of investigation, it appears Russells death was an accident. Yes it was a self inflicted gun shot but he was right handed and it was on the left side of his forehead, the distance the gun was from his head, this is figured by his wound size, and several other things that didn't add up we have found it was a jammed gun. He had the magazine clip out, and was apparently trying to unjam it and it went off. He still had his garage door up with laundry on his way to the laundry mat and keys and wallet in his pockets, shoes on, he apparently was returning from shooting to drop off his gun. He didn't do drugs, hell he didn't even drink, he was strongly involved in his church in Bend. He was unhappy so far away from home but money was not something he cared anything about. He had a couple of job offers closer to home so he definitely had a light at the end of the tunnel. His family hasn't posted a cause or explanation because we didn't have one until now. Thank-you for your kind words about him. He truly was remarkable in every way and lived and breathed weather since he was four years old. God bless. I must simply add this. His unhappiness at that station stemmed from his GM who hounded him day and night. Two people have left the station since Russells death because of this very person. the fact that it was believable that it was suicide shows how bad he was being treated. Again, thank-you to those who were concerned and to others God bless you anyway.

[ColumbusNewsFan 217]

In case anyone is still reading this thread, after three months of investigation, it appears Russells death was an accident. Yes it was a self inflicted gun shot but he was right handed and it was on the left side of his forehead, the distance the gun was from his head, this is figured by his wound size, and several other things that didn't add up we have found it was a jammed gun. He had the magazine clip out, and was apparently trying to unjam it and it went off. He still had his garage door up with laundry on his way to the laundry mat and keys and wallet in his pockets, shoes on, he apparently was returning from shooting to drop off his gun. He didn't do drugs, hell he didn't even drink, he was strongly involved in his church in Bend. He was unhappy so far away from home but money was not something he cared anything about. He had a couple of job offers closer to home so he definitely had a light at the end of the tunnel. His family hasn't posted a cause or explanation because we didn't have one until now. Thank-you for your kind words about him. He truly was remarkable in every way and lived and breathed weather since he was four years old. God bless. I must simply add this. His unhappiness at that station stemmed from his GM who hounded him day and night. Two people have left the station since Russells death because of this very person. the fact that it was believable that it was suicide shows how bad he was being treated. Again, thank-you to those who were concerned and to others God bless you anyway.

 

Thank You for the updates and our condolences continue to be with you.