Sinead O'Connor's Teenage Son Dies By Suicide Almost 5 Years After Singer Attempted To Take Her Own Life
Jan. 8 2022, Published 12:24 p.m. ET
Sinead O' Connor has lost her 17-year-old son, Shane, who reportedly died by suicide two days after he went missing.
The incident occurred almost five years after the singer herself tried to take her own life in 2017.
Police confirmed the heartbreaking news of his passing, issuing a statement, saying, "Following the recovery of a body in the Bray area of Wicklow on Friday 7 January 2022, a missing person appeal in respect of Shane O'Connor, 17 years, has been stood down."
According to reports, the teenager was put on suicide watch at a hospital in Ireland prior to his death, but he managed to escape, prompting the authorities to launch a search.
"Like, how has a seventeen year old traumatised young person WHO WAS ON SUICIDE WATCH in Tallaght Hosputal's Lynn Ward been able to go missing???" Sinead tweeted on Thursday. "Hospital of course so far refusing to take any responsibility. Anything happens to my son on their watch? Lawsuits."
After learning about her son's disappearance, The Nothing Compares 2 U singer later pleaded for her son to return via Twitter.
"This is a message for my son, Shane," she wrote. "Shane, it's not funny any more all this going missing. You are scaring the crap out of me. Could you please do the right thing and present yourself at a Gardai station. If you are with Shane please call the Gardai for his safety."
The 55-year-old singer continued, "My world would collapse without you. You are my heart. Please don't stop it from beating. Please don't harm yourself. Go to the Gardai and let's get you to hospital."
Police have yet to confirm the cause of death, however, on Friday, O' Connor announced her son had taken his own life.
"My beautiful son, Nevi'im Nesta Ali Shane O'Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God," she explained. "May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."
In 2017, Sinead made headlines after posting a video alluding to suicide. The 12-minute footage she filmed from a motel room in New Jersey included her rant suggesting she had suicidal thoughts.
"There's absolutely nobody in my life except my doctor, my psychiatrist - the sweetest man on earth, who says I'm his hero - and that's about the only things keeping me alive at the moment...And that's kind of pathetic."
She added an alarming statement claiming, "this is no way for people to be living." The singer was found safe later after friends helped her.
Sinead has three other children, Jake Reynolds, Roisin Waters, and Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio. She shared custody of her late son Shane with her ex, an Irish folk singer, Donal Lunny.