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I was in conversation with an elder last week (or maybe two weeks ago) and I don't quite know how we got onto the topic but we started talking about suicide. I was a bit surprised when he said "But don't commit suicide or you will not get a resurrection". I was wondering where exactly this information comes from. Having recovered from the shock, I have since emailed this elder and got no response. I have looked on JW Org and read a couple of older articles on there, but they seemed to say that it is or was not their place to judge, which i agree with. So, is there 'new light' on the subject of suicide ? If so where does this new light come from ? And what scriptures back up this 'new light' ? I will willingly read any recent articles that are passed on to me, as this latest information, if it is true, i find disturbing. I know of many people that have committed suicide, both inside and outside of the Jehovah's Witnesses Organisation.

How dare publishers attempt suicide ! Clearly, they should be threatened with being disfellowshipped. Jehovah's congregation needs to be kept clean from people who try to kill themselves. This is a fork from an earlier thread:

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A Bosnian Croat war criminal has died after taking poison during the reading of his verdict at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, the AP reports, citing Croatian state television. Slobodan Praljak, 72, a former wartime leader, was seen drinking from a small container as he heard the verdict of his appeal hearing.

A 24 old Bethelite woman who was in the last two weeks caught in Brooklyn, NY. Bethel and interrogated for two days for gathering critical, secretive information on the Watchtower Organization and sharing it with a working network of renegade brother Bethelites inside the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses. The young JW sister was disfellowshipped and sent home. It was reported that when she arrived home she was treated terribly by her Jehovah's Witness family and relatives. Shunned and disgracefully mentally abused emotionally took it's toll on her and she committed suicide this week. A major "WITCH HUNT" is now underway inside Bethel for this elusive, rapidly growing group of doubting brother Bethelites who are now sharing covert information with Six Screens and other critical websites of the Watchtower. The news of the suicide according to Johnny is very painful to those who were close to her. Johnny was emotionally upset when he reported the suicide this morning.

SUICIDE IS NOT THE ANSWER ???? Are you depressed?Are you lonely?     Are you suffering from a relationship break-up? Are you being bullied?        Are you suffering from a terminal illness?Do you feel like no one really understands your situation? You might be thinking:why not just end it all, after all no one will notice that I am gone. No one would miss me.I want to let you know that It is never too late for you,you are not too far gone,you are not too lost.You can still return to how you once were, to what you once was.Suicide is never the solution.Suicide is never the answer because: (1)THINGS CHANGES OVERTIME. Regardless of your situation, things do not stay the same. You may feel very bad today, but it won’t last forever. The only constant thing in life is change. (2) THERE ARE ALWAYS OTHER OPTIONS. Confront a problem, defend yourself, wait for it to blow over.Tell a teacher if you're being bullied. Tell your parents if you feel alone. Take action against it. (3) EMBRACE THE LOVE. There are people who love you- even if you don't see it. The world is not against you, even if it feels like it. You are loved. There are people in your life who love you. Maybe they are on the sidelines of your life where you don't often look, but you would see them there if you did. Or maybe you don't recognize the love they have for you. Maybe you're looking for friendly love and are dismissing someone giving you sisterly love. It can be easy to  miss sometimes, look around. Look intently. You are loved. (4)SEEK HELP You may feel lost and confused, but the answers to your specific problems are out there. The key is that you have to find the answers. The answers to your problem will not come to you. There are ways to get help. You just have to ask for it. Talk to a friend, a parent, a counselor, a doctor, a cousin. A person will not know what you are passing through if you don't say it. Above all pray to Jehovah... These scriptures can comfort you when you feel depressed and think that there is no way out from your situation. -Psalm 27:1 -Deuteronomy 31:8 -Psalm 23:4 -Job 5:11 -Lamentations 3:22-23 -John 14:27 -Psalm 46:1 -2 Corinthians 1:3 -psalm 119:76 -John 16:33 -Psalm 139:11-12 -Isaiah 49:13 -Matthew 5:4 -Psalm 55:22 -Romans 8:37-39 Always remember that it is satan that makes a person to feel worthless. Keep fighting and DON'T GIVE UP. For more information on how to cope with depression visit this link. https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/awake-no1-2017-february/teen-depression-help/ This post can help save a life.pls share

A man from Moldova, stabbed his 6-year-old son in the heart and then cut his veins. The incident happened on Sunday, on Tigrului street from Timișoara. The 48-year-old Bessarabian and his wife from Kyrgyzstan, moved to Timișoara a month ago. According to the police, the man locked himself in a room with the child, while his mother was in the bathroom, and stabbed him with a knife. The family was preparing to go to church, being follower of Jehovah's Witnesses. When the woman came out of the bathroom, she heard strange noises and had a mental breakdown when he discovered the crime but called 112. Opiniatimisoarei.ro informs that when the firefighters entered the room they found the child lying on the bed face up and with his hands on the chest, while his father was father lying in a pool of blood. The man was transported to the hospital in very serious condition, but he died because of the wounds caused. The neighbors say that the couple was polite, quiet and that they never even heard them arguing, and that the little boy was very tidy. The police have started an investigation to determine what was the reason that pushed the man to this extreme gesture. http://en.crimemoldova.com/news/crime/man-stabbed-his-6-year-old-child-and-then-committed-suicide-/

A FORMER professional boxer was seen acting strangely moments before darting into the path of an oncoming lorry, an inquest heard. Dennis Harbon, 68, suffered head and chest injuries and died at the scene on the A58 Whitehall Road at Scholes on March 1 this year. Married Mr Harbon, a retired window cleaner who lived at Mayfield Place in Wyke, had a history of battling depression and his medication had recently been changed, the hearing was told. Witnesses described seeing him at the side of the road suddenly running and flailing his arms before jumping in front of the lorry. The inquest in Bradford yesterday heard the lorry driver swerved and braked but was left powerless to avoid hitting Mr Harbon. Shocked bystanders tried to help him, with one praying for him, until emergency services arrived. Mr Harbon, a Jehovah’s Witness, had been due to go to a bible teaching session that morning but had cancelled. His wife Amanda Harbon told Assistant Bradford Coroner Kirsty Gomersal her husband had been having good and bad days in the run up to his death but she had not thought it was bad enough for him to take his own life. Mr Harbon left three notes of apology at his home which led investigating officers to treat his death as a deliberate act, PC Luke Mitchell told the hearing. Summing up, Assistant Coroner Ms Gomersal said “much-loved” Mr Harbon had deliberately jumped in front of the lorry and concluded that his death was suicide. Mr Harbon boxed professionally from 1973 to 1975 at welterweight and light middle weight taking part in 14 bouts. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/localbrad/15533256.Former_professional_boxer_took_own_life__inquest_told/

Why did this crash survivor kill herself? ...two years after triple tragedy The crash that killed everyone, but spared Sewrhoni Mohan. SEWRHONI Mohan awoke early that morning and prepared a meal for her husband. As he packed the tools of his trade to head out to work just after daybreak, she told him that while he was gone she would meet her church colleagues to continue the ministry they had been doing in their community. When he left, she closed the doors and shut out the world. He came home to find her dead. She had placed a plastic bag over her head and suffocated herself to death. Why did she do it? Mohan had survived a car crash that killed everyone in the vehicle less than two years ago. But while her external injuries had healed, the emotional trauma may have left her with a condition known as “Survivor's Guilt”. And it probably led her to make the decision to take fate into her own hands. On May 18, the 38 year old woman lay on her martial bed and placed a plastic bag over her head and breathed her last. Forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov concluded that there were no signs of foul play involved in the death of Mohan, and that she died of acute oxygen deprivation due to obstruction of the upper airways by the plastic bags put over her face. “There was not the slighted evidence of an altercation. Her clothing was in perfect order. She was wearing a delicate silk blouse which could have been easily torn, but it was not. Even her fingernails were in perfect condition. Nothing at all to suggest foul play”, Alexandrov had told the Express. Psychologist Dr Varma Deyalsingh said that Survivor's Guilt can develop when those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seek to connect with those who died. “People ask why do they have Survivor's Guilt? It seems it's because it is preferable to blame ourselves for things outside of our control than to accept our situation for which we are completely helpless. Survivor's Guilt is also a way to express the connection with those who have died. It's a method of trying to keep them alive in your mind because of guilty feelings since you survived”. She was happy Mohan's husband, Davenand Rampersad told the Express that his wife was a happy woman, but she struggled emotionally after the car crash on November 25, 2015. Mohan was a passenger in a car which collided head-on into a ten wheeler truck that day. Taxi driver Anthony Marcano, 54, and passengers Felecia Ali, 41, and Sherwin Constantine, 54, died almost instantly. Rampersad said his wife remembered nothing of how the crash happened, only that she woke up in a hospital bed with her two legs broken, ribs cracked, bruises and lacerations. “The accident had a hold on her. She was not the same afterwards. She was depressed knowing that she too could have died. She was depressed because with her injuries she couldn't move for a while. She was very sad for those who died (in the crash), especially Mr Constantine since that was her friend from church. I believe she was sitting next to him in the taxi”, he said. “She said if she had died in the accident she would not have minded. But I used to tell her she shouldn't feel that way, that she should have been grateful that she was the only survivor”. Deyalsingh said that Mohan may have been experiencing emotional conflict. “If a close friend or family member died in that crash that is a factor that come into play. There are two conflicting emotions – feeling happy that you survived , and then guilty that the others did not. Once you have two conflicting emotions it is like a tug of war in your brain and that could lead to problems”, said Deyalsingh. Acute stress The psychologist said that such stress could lead to a disorder known as Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). “This is where the person would have nightmares and relive the event. Sometimes they are numb, sometimes they can't go near cars, or a certain area. After a month if the person is still having flashbacks then ASD is labelled Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)”, said Deyalsingh. “We find that people suffering from PTSD have a lot of intrusive thoughts where they relive the traumatic event over and over during the day. There may have been a pre-existing problem of depression, and when something else happens they feel overwhelmed”. Rampersad said while his wife's outward appearance was the same following the fatal crash, something has changed on the inside. Her smile which attracted him more than seven years before at a convention of Jehovah Witnesses at the Oval in Port of Spain had disappeared. The couple was married for five years, and according to Rampersad's mother, Radica Rampersad, “he took his time to get married”. Rampersad said after the crash, his wife was warded at hospital for three months, then stayed at her family's home at Aranguez. He would often make the journey from Chrysosthom Trace in Mayaro to Aranguez to be at her side. After a year and a half she moved back to their marital home. Rampersad said that the crash left his wife with a fear of “big trucks”, but he talked her all the way through on their way back to their home. But as time passed and he would find her crying, Rampersad knew his wife needed help. “If I see her crying and tried to talk to her she would push me away, said 'to leave her alone',” he said. “I asked her if she wanted to get professional help and she said 'no'. I asked her sister to talk to her about it. But it didn't happen. But we were doing counselling in church”. Deyalsingh advised that there are free psychological clinics at health centres, hospitals, private institutions that people can access across the country. He said that there is also the Community Mental Health and Wellness Clinics at Port of Spain and Barataria where people can seek help following traumatic events. Trinidad Express

via TheWorldNewsOrgWorld News

Wanna kill yourself? Imagine this. You come home from school one day. You’ve had yet another horrible day. You’re just ready to give up. So you go to your room, close the door, and take out that suicide note you’ve written and rewritten over and over and over You take out those razor blades, and cut for the very last time. You grab that bottle of pills and take them all. Laying down, holding the letter to your chest, you close your eyes for the very last time. A few hours later, your little brother knocks on your door to come tell you dinners ready. You don’t answer, so he walks in. All he sees is you laying on your bed, so he thinks you’re asleep. He tells your mom this. Your mom goes to your room to wake you up. She notices something is odd. She grabs the paper in your hand and reads it. Sobbing, she tries to wake you up. She’s screaming your name. Your brother, so confused, runs to go tell Dad that “Mommy is crying and sissy won’t wake up.” Your dad runs to your room. He looks at your mom, crying, holding the letter to her chest, sitting next to your lifeless body. It hits him, what’s going on, and he screams. He screams and throws something at the wall. And then, falling to his knees, he starts to cry. Your mom crawls over to him, and they sit there, holding each other, crying. The next day at school, there’s an announcement. The principal tells everyone about your suicide. It takes a few seconds for it to sink in, and once it does, everyone goes silent. Everyone blames themselves. Your teachers think they were too hard on you. Those mean popular girls, they think of all the things they’ve said to you. That boy that used to tease you and call you names, he can’t help but hate himself for never telling you how beautiful you really are. Your ex boyfriend, the one that you told everything to, that broke up with you.. He can’t handle it. He breaks down and starts crying, and runs out of the school. Your friends? They’re sobbing too, wondering how they could never see that anything was wrong, wishing they could have helped you before it was too late. And your best friend? She’s in shock. She can’t believe it. She knew what you were going through, but she never thought it would get that bad… Bad enough for you to end it. She can’t cry, she can’t feel anything. She stands up, walks out of the classroom, and just sinks to the floor. Shaking, screaming, but no tears coming out. It’s a few days later, at your funeral. The whole town came. Everyone knew you, that girl with the bright smile and bubbly personality. The one that was always there for them, the shoulder to cry on. Lots of people talk about all the good memories they had with you, there were a lot. Everyone’s crying, your little brother still doesn’t know you killed yourself, he’s too young. Your parents just said you died. It hurts him, a lot. You were his big sister, you were supposed to always be there for him. Your best friend, she stays strong through the entire service, but as soon as they start lowering your casket into the ground, she just loses it. She cries and cries and doesn’t stop for days. It’s two years later. Your teachers all quit their job. Those mean girls have eating disorders now. That boy that used to tease you cuts himself. Your ex boyfriend doesn’t know how to love anymore and just sleeps around with girls. Your friends all go into depression. Your best friend? She tried to kill herself. She didn’t succeed like you did, but she tried…your brother? He finally found out the truth about your death. He self harms, he cries at night, he does exactly what you did for years leading up to your suicide. Your parents? Their marriage fell apart. Your dad became a workaholic to distract himself from your death. Your mom got diagnosed with depression and just lays in bed all day. People care. You may not think so, but they do. Your choices don’t just effect you. They effect everyone. Don’t end your life, you have so much to live for. Things can’t get better if you give up. I’m here for absolutely anyone that needs to talk, no matter who you are. Even if we’ve NEVER talked before, I’m here for you. Let's see who actually read all of it. For anyone that feels this way ?? Could 1 friend, please share? We are trying to demonstrate that someone's always listening. #SuicideAwareness 1-800-273-8255

A husband and wife and their two young children were found dead in their home in Irmo, South Carolina on Wednesday after what homicide investigators called and apparent murder-suicide. Police believe 28-year-old Kia Miller along with their 3-year-old son Kyler and daughter Syrai, who was barely a year old were executed with shots to the upper body by family patriarch and devout Jehovah's Witnesses Sheddrick Byron Miller before he turned the gun on himself. The hellish scene was uncovered after the man's mother, who had not heard from her son in several days, went to their home in the Riverwalk neighborhood around 10 a.m. to investigate. There she discovered the bodies and called police. A spokesman for the Richland County Sheriff's Department told the Charlotte Observer that the initial investigation points to a domestic disturbance prior to the killings. One woman who knew the family told the Associated Press that there was no indication anything was amiss and expressed shock at the tragedy. Authorities say a handgun, the presumed murder weapon was found in the master bedroom near Shedrick Miller's body. His wife, also in the room. The two children were shot dead in their respective bedrooms. Police are still trying to determine the exact time of the murder. South Carolina's homicide rate of women killed by men is the worst in the country, according to a report by the Violence Policy Center in Washington. http://egy4u.net/611971.html

http://www.clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/man-shares-difficult-decision-to-leave-religion-

WASHINGTON — The death rate in the United States rose last year for the first time in a decade, preliminary federal data show, a rare increase that was driven in part by more people dying from drug overdoses, suicide and Alzheimer’s disease. The death rate from heart disease, long in decline, edged up slightly. Death rates — measured as the number of deaths per 100,000 people — have been declining for years, an effect of improvements in health, disease management and medical technology. While recent research has documented sharp rises in death rates among certain groups — in particular less educated whites, who have been hardest hit by the prescription drug epidemic — increases for the entire population are relatively rare. Federal researchers cautioned that it was too early to tell whether the rising mortality among whites had pushed up the overall national death rate. (Preliminary data is not broken down by race, and final data will not be out until later this year.) But they said the rise was real, and while it is premature to ring an alarm now, if it continues, it could be a signal of distress in the health of the nation. “It’s an uptick in mortality and that doesn’t usually happen, so it’s significant,” said Robert Anderson, the chief of mortality statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But the question is, what does it mean? We really need more data to know. If we start looking at 2016 and we see another rise, we’ll be a lot more concerned.” The death rate rose to 729.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015, up from 723.2 in 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. It was one of the few times in the past 25 years that the rate has increased. A bad flu season pushed it up in 2005, and AIDS and the flu contributed to a sharp increase in 1993. In 1999, there was a tiny increase. Experts said the current rise was surprising. “We are not accustomed to seeing death rates increase on a national scale,” said Andrew Fenelon, a researcher at the C.D.C. who did not work on the paper. “We’ve seen increases in mortality for some groups, but it is quite rare to see it for the whole population.” He added that it would drag the United States further behind its European peers: “Many countries in Europe are witnessing declines in mortality, so the gap between the U.S. and other countries is growing.” Others said the finding seemed to fit the broader pattern of rising mortality among working-class whites, a trend that has drawn significant attention recently. Last year, a paper by Anne Case and Angus Deaton documented rising death rates among middle-age white Americans, particularly those with no more than a high school education. Other research has found rising rates among younger whites. “This is probably heavily influenced by whites,” said Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal. “It does sort of fit together.” Chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease take by far the most American lives, far more, for example, than suicide or homicide, so any change in such causes can have a big effect on the final numbers. Dr. Anderson pointed out that the death rate from heart disease, which had been declining for decades — and offsetting the rises in drug deaths, for example — flattened. That gives other causes of death more of an influence, Dr. Anderson said, as they are no longer being offset by declines from heart disease. The death rate from heart disease stood at 167.1 in 2015, up from 166.7 in 2014, though the rise was not statistically significant. It was the first time since 1993 that the rate did not decline, Dr. Anderson said. The death rate from suicides rose to 13.1 in the third quarter of 2015, from 12.7 in the same quarter of 2014. (The last quarter of 2015 data was not yet available for suicides.) The same was true for drug overdoses, whose data the report had for only the first two quarters of 2015. The death rate for overdoses rose to 15.2 in the second quarter of 2015, compared with 14.1 in the same quarter of 2014. The rate for so-called unintentional injuries, which include drug overdoses and car accidents, rose to 42 in the third quarter of 2015, up from 39.9 in the same quarter of 2014. The rate for Alzheimer’s disease was also up, rising to 29.2 in 2015, compared with 25.4 in 2014, the continuation of some years of increases. Dr. Anderson said that part of the rise was more precise reporting of Alzheimer’s on death certificates, but that overalldementia-related deaths had increased over time. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/health/american-death-rate-rises-for-first-time-in-a-decade.html

Joseph Sabbatino leaped to his death from the 53rd story of L.A.'s Wilshire Grand Center on Friday The married 36-year-old, who was taking medication for depression, landed on the hood of a passing car below Sabbatino was also found to have removed his helmet and had not been wearing a safety harness A Los Angeles County Coroner has now ruled that Sabbatino's tragic death was a suicide; no note has been discovered Motorist Donna Crockett was hysterical after he landed on her car and said it had 'really taken a toll' on her A statement from Turner Construction says the death was not a work related incident, indication it may have been a suicide An electrician who plunged 53 floors to his death after leaping from the West Coast's highest skyscraper committed suicide, a coroner has ruled. Joseph Sabbatino was only on his second day on the job at the construction site of the unfinished, $1billion Wilshire Grand Center when he plummeted 800 feet onto the trunk of a car that was passing below. Coroner's Lt. David Smith confirmed today that the 36-year-old's death was a suicide. Sabbatino's father Vance revealed that his son had a long battle with depression and had been taking medication before his death. His devastated wife Melken Sabbatino wrote on Facebook after his tragic death that she was 'thinking about my husband. Missing you.' Authorities found that the married Jehovah's Witness had removed his helmet and had not been wearing a harness before the fall on Friday- as he was only contracted to work on the lower levels Turner Construction has since released a statement to say there had been a safety barrier on the 53rd floor to prevents falls, and that the incident had not been work related. Around 1,000 employees were given the day off following Sabbatino's death. Horrified witnesses described the moment they saw Sabbatino fall to his death and land on a car below. James Armstrong III had been walking to a nearby bank moments after the fall said motorist Donna Crockett had been 'hysterical' and waving her hands in the air. 'It's really taken a toll on me, because right now, I'm not strong and right now I am hurting,' Crockett told KTLA. 'It was traumatic, it something that I never thought I would have to see.' She was taken to hospital after the incident in shock. Mel Melcon, an LA Times photographer, was on assignment at the building when he noticed the man's body lying 'off the driver's side of the car.' 'It sounded like a bag of cement fell off the edge of the building,' he said. 'No one thought it was a body,' Melcon told his paper. 'We heard no screams.' The vehicle escaped major damage but the rear side panel was splattered with blood, officials said. 'We have confirmed with (California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health and Los Angeles police) that the incident which occurred at the Wilshire Grand project site on March 17 was not work-related,' a statement issued by Turner Construction read. Work was shut down Friday and counselors would be on hand for employees, the statement said. Ed Winter, assistant chief Los Angeles County Coroner, said as far as he knew, there was no suicide note. Winter said the man, a new employee on his second day on the job, died instantly. The investigation will continue. Chris Martin, CEO of Martin Project Management, which is supervising the construction, said there were barricades around the edge of the building and other safety measures in place. All of the building's 891 workers had undergone training, Martin said. 'There's safety training for every worker on the job, and certain locations there's very specialized training. So these are all smart people,' Martin said. 'We had no injuries up to this date.' When asked whether there might have been any electrical work that needed doing near the edge of the building, Martin said there wasn't. The paper also reported that there was an eight-foot-high 'integrity fence' in place to keep workers and equipment from falling off the tower. No tethering harness was seen on the man's body, although employees are required to wear one when working. A construction worker who spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity said that he saw the man's body, and initially thought the woman had run him over. 'We asked the driver: 'Did you run this man over?' She said no,' the worker said. 'That's when I knew he had fallen off the building.' He added that when he returned to the building he found a hard hat with the dead man's employee number on the 53rd floor. Maurice Lopez, who works at the neighboring Bonaventure said he was saddened to hear that someone working on the building he watched go up for years had died. That's crazy. Usually when you walk by here, you see the guys up there attached to something,' Lopez, 50, of Los Angeles told the LA Times. 'Now I'm gonna feel sick walking by here.' This is the first accident to happen at the location, the Times reported. There were around 850 workers on the site as of last week. The Wilshire Grand Center is located on South Figueroa Street, at one of the busiest intersections in the city. The man's fall resulted in disruption to traffic flow. Upon completion, the $1billion skycraper, which has been under construction for two years, will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi. It will reach a height of 73 stories and will be 1,100 feet tall, including a 100-foot spire. It is expected to open early 2017. Family and friends paid tribute to the 'sweet' man with a 'good heart' that was always so full of life. Susanne Dean wrote on Facebook: 'Joseph was very sweet and made us laugh and we had some good times with him...my boys thought he was so cool to invite them over to play video games and just hang out. 'He was full of hope and life. That is the Joseph that we will remember.' Eric Mutuc added: 'Joseph was a friend of mine when we were children. He had a good heart, and although he may not have ever known it, I loved him like a brother. Jerron Ragan said: 'Rest in peace Joseph Sabbatino. You were always a good friend. I'll miss you.' Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3508352/LA-electrician-36-plunged-53-stories-death-West-Coast-s-highest-skyscraper-committed-suicide-coroner-rules.html

An electrician in just his second day of work at the downtown Los Angeles Wilshire Grand construction site fell 53 stories to his death Thursday, striking a vehicle and prompting an evacuation of the building. The man, who was identified Friday as Joseph Sabbatino, 36, of Palmdale, struck the rear of a woman’s car on Wilshire Boulevard around noon, according to Sgt. Barry Montgomery, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman. Turner Construction, the company that manages the building site, said late Thursday that the worker had no reason to be above the third floor. In a statement, the company said safety protections were not a factor in the fall. “We have confirmed with CalOSHA and LAPD that the incident which occurred at the Wilshire Grand project site today was not work-related,” the statement said. “After an initial on-site investigation, Cal OSHA has confirmed that no fall-protection violations were observed. Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased. We are also sending our deepest sympathies to our loyal and dedicated workers, for whom today’s tragedy is deeply saddening.” L.A. Times photographer describes moment when worker plummeted to death at Wilshire Grand hotel The building project will shut down Friday “to honor our workforce and out of respect,” and counselors would be available to help workers through “this very difficult situation,” the statement said. Witnesses along Wilshire Boulevard, who said the man did not appear to be wearing a safety harness or hard hat, heard an impact and turned to find the man’s body near the vehicle. “We asked the driver: 'Did you run this man over?' She said no,” said a construction worker who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity. “That’s when I knew he had fallen off the building.” The woman in the vehicle was taken to a hospital, said Montgomery, who described her status as stable. Times staff photographer Mel Melcon was at the construction site on assignment when he heard a loud thump and saw the man’s body lying near the driver’s side of the car. “It sounded like a bag of cement fell off the edge of the building,” Melcon said. The man who died had been working on the tower’s 53rd floor, which does not yet have windows. However, the floor is outfitted with an eight-foot-high “integrity fence” — a metal barrier intended to keep construction workers, building materials and tools from falling out of the tower. Safety nets have also been hung to catch falling objects at some of the building’s highest points, but the man fell from a floor below those. Chris Martin, head of the architectural firm that designed the building, said the construction site was shut down after the man’s death. He said there would have been no reason for him to be doing electrical work that close to the edge of the building. “We extend our condolences to the family and wish them well ... in a tragic situation,” Martin told reporters Thursday afternoon. Neither Montgomery nor Martin would say if the man was wearing a safety harness. A spokesman for Cal-OSHA said the man was an employee of Irvine-based ASSI Security. The agency has also launched an investigation into his death. The man’s death prompted an immediate shutdown and evacuation of the tower, as construction foremen were asked to conduct head counts of the on-site staff. The process took about an hour, said Dave Snodgrass, an operator of a construction elevator. Martin said the project had a workforce of 891 people this week. No one had suffered a serious injury at the site until Thursday’s incident, he said. News of the man’s death stunned onlookers who milled around the police tape blocking traffic along stretches of Wilshire and Figueroa Street. Police erected a white tent in the middle of Wilshire next to the woman’s car, which sat idle in the roadway with its passenger door open. Maurice Lopez, who works outside at the nearby Bonaventure, has watched the building rise slowly over the last two years. He said he was disturbed to hear someone working on the project had died. “That’s crazy. Usually when you walk by here, you see the guys up there attached to something,” said Lopez, 50, of Los Angeles. “Now I’m gonna feel sick walking by here.” Reached by telephone Thursday, Michael Willey, owner of ASSI Security, said the company had been notified of the employee's death but was not yet prepared to comment. Upon completion, the 1,100-foot Wilshire Grand tower will be the tallest structure west of the Mississippi. The $1.2-billion hotel and office project is scheduled to be completed next year. News of the man’s death shocked workers, who have been on site for almost three years and recently celebrated the tower’s “topping out.” Some workers said the death recalled bad memories from the Las Vegas construction boom in the early 2000s. Many had worked along the Strip in that time, when 12 workers died in 18 months. Times staff photographer Mel Melcon contributed to this report. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-construction-worker-falls-from-l-a-high-rise-hits-cars-dies-20160317-story.html

This video will be played at the CLAM meeting of March 21-27 Use Insight When Comforting Others: (15 min.) Discussion. Play the video that the elders viewed at a recent Kingdom Ministry School. Then invite comments on how the two brothers were a good example of how to give encouragement when someone expresses anguish over the death of a loved one.