North Dakota Man Commits Suicide Inside Courtroom After Guilty Verdict
A North Dakota man committed suicide inside a federal courtroom after he was served with a guilty verdict, according to officials.
A U.S. Marshal said that the man was on trial at the Fargo courthouse. The Kansas City Star reported that when the jury served the guilty verdict, the man had produced an edged weapon and cut his throat in front of the judge.
The judge, courtroom staff, and others had witnessed the suicide act. Meanwhile, the jury had already left the room.
Security officers and deputy marshals tried to save the man's life. However, he was pronounced dead on the scene due to his injuries.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Kevin Smith said that they have questions regarding the incident, such as how the sharp object gets into the courtroom and what people saw him do.
North Dakota US Marshal Dallas Carlson affirmed that the North Dakota man had procured a sharp object and slashed his throat.
Meanwhile, the FBI spokesperson did not know which charge the man had been convicted, according to an ABC News Go report.
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North Dakota Man
The North Dakota man had been charged with reckless endangerment and assault for allegedly running someone over with a Jeep, according to court documents.
The man was also facing terrorizing charge after he reportedly brandished a weapon.
Smith said that the FBI had officially opened an investigation on the case, saying that they need to document the incident officially.
The presiding judge at the time was U.S. District Judge Peter Welte, according to a Fox News report.
Suicide Rates U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health report.
The suicide rates decreased from 12.5 in 1990 to 10.4 suicides per 100,000 in 2000.
However, the rate has once again increased. Around 121 Americans die every day by suicide. This translates to one person killing themselves every 12 minutes.
In 2015, there were 1,104,825 attempted suicide across the country. Around one person attempts suicide every 31 seconds during this period, according to a WMICH report.
Psychological studies stated that more than 90 percent of completed suicides had one or more mental disorders, particularly depressive disorder.
Males represent 77.9 percent of all suicides. They take their own lives four times the rate of females.
Meanwhile, females are more likely than males to have suicidal thoughts.
When it comes to males, firearms are the most commonly used method of suicide, with 56.9 percent.
For females, poisoning is the most common method of suicide, with 34.8 percent.
Regarding ethnic group comparison, Whites of all ages was the second-highest rate and higher than the overall U.S. rate of 13.8.
The highest rate in the White population, 51.75 per 100,000 was found among adult males 85 and older.
Meanwhile, suicide was the 16th leading cause of death for Blacks of all ages and the third leading cause of death for young Black males ages 15-24.
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WATCH: Fargo man commits suicide in court after 'bad news' from the judge -from News Pilot