The Clark County Coroner has confirmed that Las Vegas equine veterinarian Shawn Frehner’s death was a suicide, with drowning as the primary cause and the presence of Pentobarbital—a euthanasia drug—listed as a contributing factor. Frehner’s body was discovered at Lake Mead last month, just weeks after he became the target of relentless social media outrage following the circulation of a controversial video in early April.

While the details surrounding the video remain unclear, one thing is certain: the unchecked toxicity of online mobs has real-world consequences. In an era where cancel culture runs rampant and keyboard warriors act as judge, jury, and executioner, we must ask—when did we lose sight of due process and personal accountability? Frehner’s death forces us to confront a disturbing trend: the weaponization of social media to destroy lives before facts are fully known.

This tragedy also raises serious questions about mental health in professions under intense public scrutiny. Veterinarians already face one of the highest suicide rates among medical professionals, compounded by the pressures of running small businesses in an economy plagued by inflation and overregulation. Did the added weight of online harassment push Frehner over the edge? And where were the voices of reason calling for restraint before the truth could emerge?

America was built on principles of fairness, individual liberty, and the presumption of innocence—values increasingly eroded by the knee-jerk outrage of the digital age. If we continue down this path, how many more lives will be lost to the court of public opinion?

What do you think? Should social media platforms be held accountable for enabling harassment, or is personal responsibility the real issue? Sound off in the comments.

Source: Clark County Coroner’s Office

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