Who is Aaron Pischer? Mentally ill Florida man, 29, shot dead while breaking into house
SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Florida man was shot dead late on Tuesday, June 1, while attempting to break into a house. The man's family was concerned about him as he reportedly had a history of mental health issues. Deputies with Sarasota County Sheriff's Office received a call from the family of 29-year-old Aaron Pischer at 11.04 pm, saying that he had been suffering mental health issues and appeared disoriented.
Mental illness is a growing cause of concern across the world. On May 28, Detroit hip-hop icon Big Sean advocated the importance of positive mental health and wellness. On May 40, tennis star Naomi Osaka boycotted media at the French Open citing mental health and was fined for it.
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Earlier in September 2020, a teenage boy with mental health issues was allowed to proceed with a lawsuit against sperm bank Xytex for providing an incorrect medical and educational history of the donor.
Who is Aaron Pischer?
Aaron Pischer, 29, left his home in the 4180 block of 47th Street just moments before the deputies’ arrival and looked "disoriented", Fox News reported. Pischer had already left the family's home when deputies arrived. While searching for Pischer, the deputies received a call about a shooting half a mile away. "Someone just tried to break into my home and I just shot and killed him," the caller had said.
Pischer had a history of mental illness. He was accused of trespassing at a neighbor's house in 2015. After he was declared unable to stand trial, the charges against him were dismissed, according to Fox 13. He had also previously been arrested in Sarasota County for petty theft in 2018 for stealing a donut and coffee from a Wawa.
Pischer had attempted to break into a home and the homeowner's son shot him in self-defense, according to deputies who responded to the call. On a 911 call tape obtained by WTVT, a Fox-owned station in Tampa, the homeowner's son can be heard telling a dispatcher: "I’m locked in my dad’s closet. Please get here quick. I don’t know if there’s more." "I shot him. He started charging me. He picked up one of dad’s plants on the front yard and he charged me," he added.
The man thought there were others trying to break into his house. "I don’t know how many. I know I shot one. I think there was at least two or three," he said. When police arrived, Pischer's body was found on the front porch. "There were a couple of attempts may be at a door or window. It wasn’t just somebody knocking at a door or window. It was more involved than that," said Megan Krahe with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. "There's no easy answers in this," added Krahe. "This is a tragic situation for both families involved."
The homeowner's son chose to remain anonymous, according to the sheriff's office. Because the neighbor in this situation has chosen to take advantage of Marsy's Law's privacy protections, his identity remains hidden for the time being. According to the sheriff's office, he had no relationship with Pischer. An investigation is now underway. There were no further details provided.