Three days ago Garrett Dunn, who also went by Baby Dyce, had a “quick question” for his Facebook followers. He asked them: “If I were to stop living right now at this exact moment, how many of you would it [a]ffect? … Honestly?”
When not many people had reacted, he wrote: “Yeeeaaahhh, probably not many, so hey, Don’t come to my funeral, don’t pray for me on Facebook, don’t tell my momma how sorry you are, don’t act like I matter when I’m dead if I don’t matter now… If I died a month ago most of y’all wouldn’t even had noticed that shit… Just be real with yourself, you ain’t gotta bullshit me.” The question was asked against a deep purple background of symmetrically arranged skulls. In time, several people lent support and urged him to reach out.
Later the same day he wrote: “Please do not cry for me when I’m gone. Because I’m here right now and you don’t even say hello.” He’d posted the same message a month earlier, though through much of August his posts were cheery, funny and wry.
Two days ago he posted another line against the same deep-purple background: “It’s been real y’all.”
Late Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 2) Dunn called 911 and told a dispatcher someone should respond to his location on Brittany Lane. He was on the street on which he lives. He told the dispatcher he was going to kill himself. As he spoke, the dispatcher heard a loud bang, “possibly a gun shot,” a sheriff’s report notes.
It was the second time in three years that a 911 dispatcher was on the line when a person at the other hand took his own life.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene at 5:45 p.m. Dunn was partly in the roadway, unresponsive, a handgun and a shell casing near him. A Palm Coast Fire Department paramedic pronounced him dead moments later. He was 31.
A resident on that street had heard a loud bang but had not gone out to investigate, the report states. Another resident who pulled up after the incident said she’d seen Dunn walking on the street half an hour earlier.
Deputies then turned over the investigation to crime scene investigators and detectives, and the medical examiner removed the body for an autopsy in St. Augustine.
Dunn had developed a following on YouTube, producing reaction videos where he would “react” to other video clips–music videos, comedians, talking heads. He had over 3,200 subscribers. “Baby Dyce MOM Reacts to – Trevor Noah ‘Black Americans,'” a video featuring Dunn’s mother last year, has drawn over 160,000 views so far. Mother and son watch the nearly 9-minute clip, laugh a lot, then commend Noah for being mostly “clean,” in his mother’s word. “He’s just a funny dude, man,” Dunn says. Another video he did featuring a Noah clip has drawn over 10,000 views.
Just three days before his death, he’d posted five videos in succession, all in keeping with his usual productions and humor, and his trademark Steelers wool cap. “They be like why you dropping so many videos in one night?” he says at the beginning of one of them. “I’ll be busy all week.” He then said if he didn’t upload videos ahead of time, his viewers would be asking bout his absence–and if he was alive. “Yeah, I’m alive,” he says, using an expletive. He speaks of how busy he was going to be, and how he gets to “blow out of here” any time he wants since he doesn’t get paid for those videos. “If you want a more persistent or consistent upload schedule, if you want me to like, really kind of OD with this shit, you got to show some interest,” he says encouraging his viewers to donate. “With that being said, I ain’t got no schedule, I do what I want, when I want how I want it. Catch me if you can.”
Originally from the Bronx, Dunn had attended Flagler Palm Coast High School and Daytona State College.
“Words can’t express the pain in my heart right now,” one of his friends wrote on his wall. “I will always remember those little quips and comments you posted on the daily. I will always remember those videos that you posted on YouTube. I will always remember those kind words and warm thoughts. I will always remember those cheeks and that smile, so bright and warm. I will always keep your memory alive in my heart and mind. You were placed into my life for a reason and there are times that I will always remember.”
The following resources are available for individuals in crisis:
In Flagler: The Crisis Triage and Treatment Unit (CTTU) is a crisis assessment and referral service for Flagler County residents experiencing behavioral health crisis. It is located at 301 Justice Lane in the Brown & Brown Outpatient building at the Vince Carter Sanctuary in Bunnell. This program is limited to individuals escorted to the program by law enforcement between the hours of noon and midnight daily. Law enforcement is able to transport individuals to SMA to assess and determine the appropriate clinical disposition. When required and appropriate, SMA then transports the individual to a receiving facility in Volusia County.
In Daytona Beach: Stewart-Marchman Act Corporation Crisis Center
1220 Willis Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Crisis Line: (800) 539 – 4228
Available 24 hours.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800/273-8255 (TALK), or use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat, both available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255.
People 60 and older can call the Institute on Aging’s 24-hour, toll-free Friendship Line at 800-971-0016. IOA also makes ongoing outreach calls to lonely older adults.
If you are concerned for someone else, read about warning signs here. For additional resources, see the Speaking of Suicide website.
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Erica says
Cuz we are going to miss you, still don’t know why you left us but I know you must have been going through something really bad for you to do something like this, I hope you didn’t suffer, it’s still so unreal for us, I’m beating myself up right now I should have reached out more I’m sorry cuz I failed you.love always erica, ebennie, Jordan ,kiara, Ciara johannes -morris
CB from PC says
If I were in my prime working age, Palm Coast would be one of the last places I would live.
As far As SMA goes, the “treatment plan” is a joke.
You may as well be in Bellevue during the 1960s.
Bottom line is, get an education which teaches you the skills needed to earn a decent income.
This guy sounds like he was pretty intelligent and took initiative to have people interested in his message.
Hate to see a young person end their life in such a way.
James M. Mejuto says
What are we gonna do?!!! I’m afraid as Clinton said: “It’s the economy , stupid !”
Garrett Dunn was only 31 yrs. and I don’t know if he had a family but there are too
many good people wasting-away in this sub-society with nowhere to go. If you
don’t have a future to aim toward then many horrible events happen. Unfortunately,
this is the drama played-out when so many of our people are left out of the picture
while a very few enjoy.
This young man must have been in so much pain and punishment . . . with nowhere to go !
Melissa says
That’s not even the case or a factor within the equation. If you knew my nephew you would know that. He had a lot of support and a huge family that loved him. He hid his pain so well and we NEVER saw any of the tell tale signs as he was ALWAYS the peacemaker, the philosopher, the problem solver, and the jokester. He was very happy go lucky and was obviously hiding his pain and his demons very well. His inner demons unfortunately won the battle within his mind and body.
Anonymous says
Very tragic. My deepest condolences to this man’s family. May you Rest In Eternal Peace Mr. Dunn.
Concerned Citizen says
My condolences to the family. I am sorry for their loss. As someone who has dealt with suicide in our family I know it is hard.
Also speaking as a retired Public Safety person I hope the dispatcher involved will get counseling. That’s a pretty rough thing to go thru in an already difficult position.
E. Hoffa says
Prayers for him, his family, and dispatcher! Now is the time to watch family members and friends for any signs that life is becoming to much for them! CALL for HELP before it is TOO Late!
Trailer Bob says
What a terribly sad story…event. I have lost so many throughout my life to suicide, always wondering why it happened and in the end realizing sure, I should have saw it coming. I believe that life is awesome…can’t’ imagine NOT being alive. We all try to stay strong, see the bright side of life, and at my age I can smell the scent of death a couple of times each month…just thinking about it.
This young man seems to have had a lot going for him, and he probably did. But unfortunately he obviously also suffered from some form of depression. If only someone knew more about his intentions, if only he reached out, if only.
May you rest in peace, though I would have much rather seen you continue to live you life.
So sad. My condolences to his friends and family. I will think about this for a few days certainly. Wish I could do more.
Only Me says
Very sad to read he was reaching out an feeling that no one cared about whether he lived or died. May he rest in peace, a young man gone too soon.
White Bronco says
People need to spend less times with our tech; Online social status, “followers,” lifestyle, politics, news, etc. It’s not what humans are meant for in such an overbearing way. (Everything in our lives revolves around our cloud life.) And recently there’s been even more isolation. Always reach out to friends and neighbors, and let them know they aren’t alone. We all screwed together. Only together can we survive and have a good time.
Wow says
Very sad. Depression is a terrible thing.
Melissa says
I just love how people are so quick to judge the deceased and the family. It just bothers me so much that people blame the family and saying, “How did you NOT know.”
It’s just amazing to ME really that people could actually say that not even knowing my nephew or our family and how close we are. But if I were to say that in their case, (which would NEVER be the case.)it would be a different case and I would be ignorant or wrong.
Sad says
So very sad. Reach out to your friends and loved ones regularly and maybe someone’s life can be saved.