PV Grief Stricken Over Death of Local Teenager
Putnam Valley has been a community in mourning the past week following a tragic accident that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Elias Knapp.
Knapp, a student at Putnam Valley High School, died days after he accidentally shot himself while horsing around with friends earlier this month. A memorial service for Knapp will be this Saturday at Yorktown Funeral Home from 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Around 7:46 p.m. on Feb. 1, deputies from the sheriff’s department responded to a radio call of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at 56 Ridge Ave. in town after a friend of Knapp called 911 to report the accident, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department. When deputies arrived, they saw Knapp with apparent gunshot wound to his head with three friends also present, the sheriff’s department said.
Deputies, EMS workers and a medic tried to administer aide to the Knapp, who was still breathing when they arrived, authorities sad. He was transported by the Mahopac Falls ambulance to then be airlifted to Westchester Medical Center.
A decision was made days later to take Knapp off life support and his organs were donated, according to Knapp’s father Steven, who posted on a gofundme page that was set up by a town resident to help raise money for funeral expenses.
“His heart was pure gold, he was a nurturing loving young person still in search of himself,” Steven Knapp said on the gofundme page. “He was tremendously loved and supported and I really don’t like speaking for others.”
The sheriff’s department is still investigating the matter as of Thursday night. No charges have been filed.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the Knapp family,” the sheriff’s department stated.
The gofundme page has raised close to $20,000 with 338 people contributing in five days. The original funding goal: $7,500.
