Editor’s note:  The story below, which was posted for 24 hours on April 21, 2023, was removed from our site out of consideration for the mental well being of the subject of the story, Conor Fitzpatrick. That consideration was requested by someone purporting to be the friend of Fitzpatrick who had called 911 out of concern for his safety. The friend, who contacted the Herald via email, was concerned that news of Fitzpatrick’s attempted suicide would have “hugely adverse effects on his real life.” 

In the meantime, the news of his apparent suicide attempt has been reported on by other news outlets. We’ve received correspondence  from a number of readers, many of whom cited the damage caused by Fitzpatrick’s alleged actions, and requested information about why the story was removed. 

As a relatively new community news organization, Peekskill Herald strives to be sensitive to the mental health of the people we report on, while balancing our responsibility to accurately reflect ongoing newsworthy events.  We attempt to weigh competing needs. Up to this point in our nearly two year existence, we have not dealt with a story that has both international significance, and a local, emotional component.  We are currently exploring and establishing guidelines regarding posting stories dealing with mental health issues as they relate to the larger societal issues. Going forward, it is our intention that in most cases, once a story is posted, it will remain on the site – and if there is a need for a correction or addition, that will be noted in the story as an editor’s note. 

On Wednesday, five weeks to the day the FBI showed up at the home of Conor Fitzpatrick and arrested him in connection with cyber crimes, a Peekskill Volunteer Ambulance responded to his home after a friend of the 20-year-old called 911. The friend told the dispatcher that Fitzpatrick called him to say goodbye after an apparent suicide attempt. 

The PVAC ambulance was dispatched at 9:53 a.m. to the home on the 500 block of Union Avenue and transported Fitzpatrick to NY Presbyterian Hospital in Cortlandt.  

As of Friday morning, the hospital was unable to release details of Fitzpatrick’s condition due to privacy laws, but did acknowledge he is still a patient there.

Fitzpatrick was arrested on March 15th during an FBI raid of his Peekskill home and charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. He’s accused of being “Pompompurim”, the owner of a notorious online forum called “BreachForums” which is believed to have facilitated the sale of numerous hacked and stolen databases, including personal details of US Congress members.

He had been released following arraignment in Federal Court in White Plains on March 16th on a $300,000 unsecured bond. 

The Crisis Text Hotline can be reached here or text HOME to 741741. The Trevor Project Crisis Line text is 678678 and can be reached here.