The 44-year-old was found in Fort Marcy Park in McLean on Tuesday. He had become interim mayor of city at the beginning of 2021 and was then elected to that role in May with 58 percent of the vote.
Ward had moved to Hyattsville in 2014 after he and his husband adopted their two sons and he served two terms on Hyattsville City Council for the city’s Ward One before becoming mayor.
“It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward passed away yesterday, January 25, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the city said in a statement.
“Mayor Ward was a valued and trusted leader and a fierce advocate for all the people of Hyattsville. We are heartbroken at this loss and extend our deepest sympathy to his family,” the statement said.
“The City knows that Mayor Ward was a well-connected member of our tight-knit community and that this is difficult news,” the city’s statement went on, offering contact numbers for those who may need grief counseling or mental health support.
Ward had worked as a consultant in educational technology, and on his website he said that he liked “the roar of a V8 as much as I like the whir of an electronic car” and preferred sneakers to dress shoes.
“I am equally apt to listen to Stevie Nicks as Meghan Thee Stallion. And I believe laughter is the best medicine,” Ward said on the website.
“I am a pretty straightforward person,” Ward said. “I believe in listening more than talking. But when I talk, I am not one to mince words or tell people what they want to hear.”
“I believe in doing the work. I believe that if I can help someone, then I can change her or his life. This is why I dedicated my career to providing the best technology to education and human services, to help as many as I can,” he said.
Ward’s eldest son has graduated from high school, while his younger son is in the eighth grade. The mayor was also a grandfather and described himself as a “proud resident of Hyattsville.”
Listing his accomplishments as a city councilor, Ward noted that he had cosponsored legislation “to designate Hyattsville as a sanctuary city, and I voted to expand the municipal vote to all residents, including non-citizen residents.”
The mayor also made reference to restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, saying “COVID has not changed my passion for this City. If anything, it enhanced it, and I am ready to continue working to get the City back to normal, even if some things have to be a new normal, even post-COVID.”
“One of my favorite things to do in Hyattsville is to explore the city, especially its parks,” Ward said on his website.
“I cannot wait to see the exciting things we will do as a community at Hyatt Park. And if I was more dedicated, I would exercise more at the 38th Street Park,” he added.
If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours every day.
UPDATE 02/01/22 07.35a.m E.T.: This article has been updated to include information for those who may be having thoughts of suicide.
