Jacob Pratt: Google employee, 33, kills himself a few streets away from tech giant's NYC office
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK : A 33-year-old Google employee died by suicide in his apartment just a few streets from the company's headquarters. Police sources reportedly said that Jacob Pratt was discovered dead on February 16, adding that he seemed to have hanged himself.
Pratt's family is pleading with people to contribute to mental health charities, per the New York Post. His death comes at a time that Google has laid off almost 12,000 people worldwide. It is unknown if he was fired before his untimely death. He was a partnership leader at the tech giant, according to his LinkedIn profile, per the DailyMail.
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In May 2019, he began working for Google as an agency manager. Pratt's obituary reads, "His interests in advertising and technology lead him to a dream job as an accounting manager at Google in Manhattan," adding, "Those who knew Jacob were often a part of spirited debates about all manner of things and a humor that was contagious."
How did Jacob Pratt die?
The police said, "Upon arrival, officers observed a 33-year-old male unconscious and unresponsive." While police continue investigating, the official cause of death has not been disclosed by the medical examiner's office, per Newstimesuk.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Make-A-Wish Michigan are already receiving donations from his family. His sister Jenna wrote on a GoFundMe organized in her brother's honor, "In honor of his life, and in lieu of flowers, please consider giving money to this fundraiser. These two charities represent our son and brother and the heart he had for the people around him."
The GoFundMe has raised close to $12,000. His memorial service will begin at 11 am on February 28 at the REO Town Venue of Riverview Church in Lansing, Michigan. After that, pizza, which was Pratt's "favorite" meal, will be served at luncheon, per his obituary.
Mass lay-offs at Google and Microsoft
In January it was reported that Alphabet, Google's parent firm, was laying off 12,000 employees as part of the most brutal wave of white-collar lay-offs ever to hit the tech industry. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the losses impacted a variety of teams across the organization, including those responsible for hiring, a few corporate tasks and a few engineering and product teams. Just a few days prior, Microsoft announced it would let go off 10,000 employees and Amazon did away with 18,000 employees.