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Goldsboro vigil highlights local toll of suicide; officials urge use of 988 and county services
Summary
City leaders and county health staff opened a suicide prevention vigil in Goldsboro, with a county health supervisor citing CDC age-group data, a police captain noting seven local deaths in 2.5 years, and a city attorney offering a personal testimony urging residents to seek help. Speakers highlighted Trillium services and the 988 crisis line.
Mayor Charles Gaylor opened a suicide prevention awareness vigil in Goldsboro on behalf of the city’s Commission on Community Relations and Development, introduced speakers and served as emcee.
Hunter Heima, the Wayne County Health Department’s health education supervisor, framed suicide and self-harm as major public-health issues and cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying suicide is "the second leading cause" of death for people ages 15 to 24. Heima distinguished self-harm from suicide, listed common risk factors—depression, anxiety, trauma, physical or emotional abuse, financial stress and substance misuse—and described warning signs such as talking or posting about death and social withdrawal. He urged bystanders to initiate conversations and to connect people to professionals when needed.
Heima also told the gathering that Trillium now provides the county’s behavioral and mental-health services and highlighted the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline as a 24/7 resource; he said residents should call 911 for immediate emergencies and use 988 or Trillium for ongoing support. "It's okay to seek help," he said.
A police representative introduced by the mayor as Captain Josh Stein said suicide "touches everyone" and stated that "in the last two and a half years we've lost just in the city seven lives to suicide," underscoring the local impact and the need for partnerships between law enforcement, mental-health providers and hospitals.
Ron Lawrence, identified in the program and by the mayor as the city attorney, offered a personal testimonial about his father's death by suicide in 1983 and described the enduring effect on survivors. "Suicide doesn't end the pain, it just passes it to someone else," Lawrence said, urging anyone struggling to seek help and calling for reduced stigma around mental illness.
Mayor Pro Tem Brandy Matthews led a candle-lighting segment, shared a brief personal appeal—"You deserve to live"—and asked the community to prioritize conversations about mental health. Interim City Manager Matt Livingston performed a musical selection, and Commission Chair Carol Battle closed the program and invited Dr. Yolanda Farmer to offer a prayer.
The vigil focused on awareness, resources and community support rather than policy or formal action. Organizers emphasized local help through Trillium and the 988 line and called for sustained attention to prevention and bystander intervention.
