A somber atmosphere enveloped USAA’s headquarters over the weekend as news broke of an employee’s death by suicide.
Police said they were called to the company’s San Antonio campus on Saturday morning after security personnel found a man dead in front of a parking garage.
The man’s car was later found on the sixth floor of the parking garage. Surveillance footage showed that he drove into the garage at around 9:30 am, according to the police, nearly two hours before his body was discovered at 11:10 am.
Police said he texted a friend at approximately 11 am about his plans to take his own life. They also found a note inside his vehicle.
The San Antonio Express-News reported the incident earlier this week and said the man is a 53-year-old employee at USAA. It pointed to a statement issued to company staff that referred to him as a “teammate.”
“We care deeply about each and every person on the USAA team, and we will help support our teammate’s family during this difficult time,” said USAA president and CEO Wayne Peacock in an email sent to employees.
Peacock described USAA in a recent interview with CNBC as a “mission-based organization taking care of military families.”
In June, USAA teamed up with a number of corporations, foundations, nonprofits and veteran-focused organizations to launch an initiative aimed at raising awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention.
The Face the Fight initiative includes work focused on funding and providing philanthropic grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to stopping veteran suicide.
“Our service members stand tall in the noble calling to serve others, and we need to stand with them for challenges they may face, including mental health and suicide,” Peacock said of the initiative. “Through focused funding and work with experts, we believe Face the Fight will make a difference in raising awareness for veteran suicide prevention. And we invite others to join us in this fight.”
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