A man who committed suicide in front of the San Francisco Police Department’s Mission Station on Monday was a co-founder of a popular skateboarding magazine.
The medical examiner’s office identified the man who shot himself at about 9 a.m. Monday outside the doors of the police station at 630 Valencia St. as Eric Swenson, a 64-year-old San Francisco resident.
Swenson was a co-founder of Thrasher Magazine, which started in the 1980s and focuses on the skateboarding culture.
He also co-founded Independent Truck Co., which manufactures skateboard trucks, the metal parts that connect the board to the wheels.
A post on Thrasher Magazine’s website states that Swenson’s “mark on skateboarding is extraordinary.”
“Never one to clamor for the spotlight, he preferred the hard work, orchestrating the show from behind the scenes,” the post reads.
Swenson leaves behind his wife Linda and sister Rebekah, “along with a tremendous number of admirers,” the site states.
Anyone who is feeling suicidal is encouraged call the national, 24-hour suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to be connected to the closest crisis line.
Crisis counselors from the nonprofit San Francisco Suicide Prevention are also available to participate in online chats at www.sfsuicide.org.
Eve Batey contributed to this report by Dan McMenamin of Bay City News
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