I’m saddened by his passing, but those who knew him from the beginning understand that many of his struggles were the result of his own choices. He continually surrounded himself with people who couldn’t be trusted, even when it was clear they posed serious risks—not just to him, but to everyone connected to him. He was reckless with privacy, failing to protect his online identity and, more troublingly, the identities of those around him. He casually shared real names and locations—not with the police or under pressure, but in everyday conversations—because he had little self-control and no filter. He revealed information about his friends, the boys in their lives, and even his own. It was the same lack of control that allowed boys to regularly trash his home while he stood by, unable or unwilling to stop it. Despite repeated warnings and sincere efforts from people who cared about him, he refused to change. Friends who tried to guide him toward safer, more responsible behavior eventually had to step away when it became clear he wouldn’t stop taking risks that put them in danger. It’s a tragic ending, but not one without warning. His carelessness left others vulnerable, and in the end, it cost him the trust and presence of those who once truly cared for him. |