Five Days After Suicide, Veteran Found in VA Parkinglot

Veteran’s suicide in Durham VA parking lot highlights problem
WNCN News
By Jonathan Rodriguez
Published: March 6, 2017

“He had gotten partial benefits, and he found out that Wednesday that he went missing that he would not be getting full benefits because of a paperwork error. Had he been a little patient, we don’t think it would have taken a lot longer to get them but he had been waiting, struggling emotionally and financially for quite some time,” Donald said.

RALEIGH, NC – A veteran who took his own life in the parking lot of the Durham VA hospital was in struggling to get his benefits.

Veterans are promised care in return for serving our country, but many veterans say getting their financial support is incredibly challenging.

63-year-old Paul Shuping was found in the parking lot by Durham VA police.

“He tried to do things the right way and it just didn’t work,” his brother Donald explained.

It took five days before police found Paul in his car.

“He was in a seldom used area of the parking lot in a corner,” said Donald.

The veteran served 6 years in the United States Navy. Donald says the care this veteran got at the Durham VA was great, but he was battling emotional issues, depression, and PTSD and had just found out he was denied his veteran benefits.
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