The brother of the Texas airport worker who took his own life by jumping into a spinning jet engine says his brother showed no recent signs of wanting to take his own life.
David Renner, 27, died after he was "ingested" into a Delta Air Lines plane at San Antonio International Airport.
His younger brother, Joshua Renner, said in an interview that David had been happy, sober for months and gave no indication he wanted to hurt himself.
Joshua did acknowledge that his brother had struggled with mental health disorders and addiction before.
“This isn’t the first time David has tried something like this from my knowledge,” Joshua told the news outlet. “There were other times. This time I thought it was different.”
He said David’s childhood was “complicated at times with living in two separate households growing up just like all the other divorced kids.”
Joshua said his brother “had been clean for over eight months, was in therapy, [was] actively taking his prescribed medication and had finally became the David we all knew he could be.”
He said David was “living every day to the fullest,” adding that “there was zero indication this time” that he planned to take his life.
Their parents also “were making sure that he was taking good care of himself” before his death last week, Joshua added.
“David is one of many others that suffer with mental illness and it’s not always very clear to us to see,” he told the Daily Mail.
Officials reportedly “saw signs that pointed to suicide.”
The suicide confirmation all but ended an investigation by the NTSB, who said there were "no operational issues with either the airplane or the airport."
A source told The Guardian that David had "intentionally stepped in front of the live engine."
Joshua said his family is now "doing the best they can do right now" and that his parents were making sure David was "taking good care of himself" before he died.
David "loved magic" and "was always trying to perform some little sleight of hand for his friends and family," Joshua recalled.
"The simplest smile can always make a difference," he said.
Spokesperson Erin Rodriguez said the airport was "deeply saddened" by what happened, CNN reported.
"An accident occurred on the ground at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) Friday night that resulted in the fatality of an airline ground crew member," Rodriguez said.
In the US, if you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
In the UK, the Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
