Daniel John Brown, 39, of Gainesville died on November 22, 2020, from a gunshot wound to the head after an incident the day before in which he reportedly asked his brother, Robert Joseph Brown, to kill him. Police say Daniel had expressed a desire to die to both Robert and a roommate on November 21, 2020. During the encounter Robert retrieved a gun and, intending to frighten his brother, pulled the trigger; Daniel moved his head back at the moment the gun fired and suffered a fatal injury.

Robert initially faced an aggravated battery charge; after Daniel’s death the charge was elevated to manslaughter and he was held at the Alachua County Jail with bond set at $750,000. Medical staff took Daniel to UF Health Shands Hospital’s emergency room but he died over the weekend. The case has been framed in part around Daniel’s severe mental health struggles and the request he made to his brother.

Does anyone have information about Daniel’s last days, or about outreach efforts in Gainesville that might help others in crisis?