Parkland, Florida Shooting Survivor Loses Battle Years After Mass Shooting: To Be Memorialized In National Park

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Dec 28, 2025
2 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Youth Peace and Justice Foundation to Honor Donovan Metayer, Parkland, FL School Shooting Survivor, Following Tragic December 15th Loss; Foundation Issues Urgent Call for Sustained Youth Mental Health Support

PARKLAND, Fla. – The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, also known as the Uvalde Foundation For Kids, formed following the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas; announced today the establishment of a living memorial for Donovan Metayer, a Parkland, Florida High School graduate and survivor of the 2018 campus shooting, who passed away, December 15th, 2025 following a courageous struggle with the long-term psychological impacts of gun violence.

Metayer, a celebrated track and field athlete known for his resilience and character, will be memorialized in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont; through the foundation’s "Trees for Peace" initiative. He is the first student from the 2018 School shooting to be remembered by the foundation.

Metayer joins fellow students from Brown University, Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov—who were recently killed during an act of violence on the Brown campus in Providence, Rhode Island—in a national tribute honoring students whose futures were stolen by violence and the enduring trauma that follows.

"Donovan’s death is a heartbreaking reminder that the wounds of gun violence do not always bleed; sometimes they burn quietly for years," said Daniel Chapin, founder of the Youth Peace and Justice Foundation. "Surviving the initial tragedy is only the first battle. For many of our youth, the secondary war against PTSD, anxiety, and depression is a lifelong struggle that requires more than just temporary attention."

In response to Metayer’s passing, the Foundation is focusing its advocacy on the critical need for permanent, accessible, and ongoing trauma-informed mental health care for students who survive mass shootings. The Foundation asserts that current systems often provide short-term crisis counseling immediately following a tragedy but fail to address the "invisible injuries" that persist for years.

Consistent with its mission, the Foundation is demanding a firm political commitment from leadership to implement these long-term mental health protections, rather than merely requesting one-time funding.

The Foundation is calling for:

* Ongoing Support Systems: Implementation of long-term mental health monitoring and resources for all students exposed to campus violence.

* Trauma-Informed Education: Universal training for educators to recognize the signs of delayed trauma and "toxic stress" in survivors.

* Increased Mental Health Infrastructure: Legislative commitment to expand school-based mental health services that remain in place long after the headlines fade.

"We are planting a tree for Donovan as a living promise that he will not be forgotten," Chapin continued. "But a memorial is not enough. We must demand a transformation in how we care for the minds of our survivors. Donovan deserved a system that stayed with him as long as his trauma did."

As part of the Trees for Peace Initiative, a tree will be planted in Metayer’s honor, joining a growing forest of remembrance nationwide dedicated to ending student deaths and fostering a future of peace.

The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation continues to offer its deepest condolences to the Metayer family and remains committed to advocating for the safety and well-being of every student.

Media Contact:

Jennifer West

The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation

Uvalde Foundation For Kids

254-499-8027

Charity ID 88-3268749

www.youthpeaceandjusticefoundation.com

Alternative Website: www.theuvaldefoundation.com