A 33-year-old former Marine, Enrique Ramos Jr., died by suicide on December 4, 2025, in the parking lot of the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, according to San Antonio police. Officers responded to a 911 call just after 12:45 p.m.; Ramos reportedly told the dispatcher where he was and his intent to take his own life. Responding officers found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A spokesperson from the United States Marine Corps confirmed Ramos’s service record: he served from June 2010 to August 2020.
A Troubling Pattern: Second Suicide at Same VA Hospital in 2025
Ramos’s death marks the second veteran suicide this year at the same facility. In April 2025, 54-year-old former Navy veteran Mark Miller, author of a book about his struggles titled “Suicide Stalks the Sniper,” died by suicide in the same hospital parking lot. Miller, like Ramos, reportedly was seeking help from the VA.
The recurrence of such tragedies at the same location within a relatively short time span has renewed scrutiny and concern over mental-health care services for veterans.
Voices of Grief and Calls for Change
In response to Ramos’s death, veteran-advocacy groups such as Veterans of Foreign Wars have called on leadership at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to take immediate action by reassessing outreach, mental-health care, and crisis-intervention protocols.
Family members of the fallen veterans and veterans themselves have described the suicides as more than isolated tragedies, instead framing them as desperate attempts to draw attention to an overburdened system that struggles to respond in moments of acute distress.
What’s At Stake: A Larger, Systemic Crisis
The deaths of Ramos and Miller have intensified scrutiny of the broader veteran suicide crisis and the long-standing mental health challenges many former servicemembers face. Experts and advocates point to staffing shortages, delays in care, limited access to counseling, and fragmented follow-up as factors that leave vulnerable veterans without consistent support during critical moments.
In Texas, where the veteran population ranks among the largest in the nation, lawmakers have moved to formalize statewide tracking of veteran suicides. Supporters of the effort argue that accurate data remains essential to identifying patterns, targeting resources, and holding institutions accountable for care outcomes.
Tracking alone will not prevent future deaths. Many continue to call for expanded mental health staffing, faster access to therapy, improved crisis response procedures at VA facilities, and stronger post-appointment follow-up for veterans flagged as high risk.
What’s Next and How to Get Help
As investigations into Ramos’s death continue, advocacy organizations have renewed their push for reforms prioritizing early intervention and continuity of care. Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups have urged federal leaders to examine whether existing crisis intervention systems function as intended when veterans arrive at VA facilities seeking immediate assistance.
Community members in San Antonio organized vigils and outreach events in response to both deaths. Many describe the gatherings as spaces for mourning and as calls for accountability directed at institutions charged with caring for those who served.
For veterans and families, the message remains urgent. Help remains available around the clock through the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, or by visiting https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ for online chat support.
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