Mayor of city near DC found dead
from suspected suicide


By Andrew Mark Miller,
Fox News







The mayor of Hyattsville, Maryland, an urban area outside of Washington, DC,
is dead at the age of 44 after committing suicide.

“It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward
passed away yesterday, January 25, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,”
a post on the official website for Hyattsville said on Wednesday. “Mayor Ward was a
valued and trusted leader and a fierce advocate for all the people of Hyattsville.
We are heartbroken at this loss and extend our deepest sympathy to his family.”

Ward previously served as city council president in Hyattsville, located just north of the
border between Maryland and the District of Columbia, and became mayor at the end
of 2020 when then-Mayor Candace Hollingsworth stepped down. Ward, a Democrat,
then won the mayoral election in May 2021. 

Ward’s body was found by United States Park Police officers in Fort Marcy, a park in
McLean, Virginia, according to WJLA.

“I am a pretty straightforward person,” Ward’s campaign website reads. “I believe in
listening more than talking. But when I talk, I am not one to mince words or tell people
what they want to hear. I believe in doing the work. I believe that if I can help someone,
then I can change her or his life. This is why I dedicated my career to providing the best
technology to education and human services, to help as many as I can.”


It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved #HyattsvilleMayor Kevin Ward passed
away yesterday, January 25 from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. We are
heartbroken by this loss and share our deepest sympathy for the Mayor’s family.

>https://t.co/nemygRxFmL pic.twitter.com/8ZH33pXsfQ

— City of Hyattsville (@HyattsvilleMD) January 26, 2022


Ward leaves behind a husband and two sons.

“The First Lady and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Hyattsville Mayor
Kevin Ward,” Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted. “We extend our
most heartfelt condolences to the Ward family and the people of Hyattsville as they
grieve this tragic loss.”


The First Lady and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward.

We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the Ward family and the people of Hyattsville
as they grieve this tragic loss.

— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) January 26, 2022

The city did not immediately announce funeral details but said that
community members in need of grief counseling or mental health
support are encouraged to contact Community Crisis Services Inc.
(dial 211 and press 1), or call 800-273-TALK, or
the Affiliated Sante Group crisis support line at 301-429-2185.




Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward with his one of his
sons and his husband