Obituary of man who shot himself includes plea to amend Vermont gun laws

The family of a 23-year-old Vermont man who committed suicide included in his obituary a plea to change the state's gun laws.

Andrew Robert Black bought a gun on Dec. 6 and used it on himself later that day, his mother, Alyssa Hughes Black, told the Associated Press.

Vermont does not require waiting periods for acquiring firearms.

Black, his family wrote in his obituary, published Dec. 10 by the Burlington Free Press, "was a true son of Vermont who loved hiking ... and found beauty in everything he saw."

"Andrew," the obit continued, "was kind, generous of heart, and known for his smile and laughter that could light up a room."

In lieu of flowers, Black's family asked that donations be made to the Green Mountain Club and that "you please consider lobbying your State Representative with the following: 'In honor of Andrew R. Black, we ask that you work for legislation that imposes a reasonable waiting period between firearm purchase and possession to provide a cooling off period to guard against impulsive acts of violence.'"

About 23,000 people in the U.S. used a gun to commit suicide in 2016, the most recent year for which data are available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That same year, 14,415 were killed by someone else with a gun.