Response to the Passing of Alex LaMarie

Dear fellow advocates, guardians, allies, and members of the disability community,

I write to you today with a heavy heart following the heartbreaking loss of a bright young member of our disability and autism advocacy community, Alex LaMorie, a 25-year-old autistic man who was a dedicated student, grief advocate, and resident of Patuxent Commons in Maryland.

In March 2026, police responded to a call for a wellness check outside Alex’s apartment complex, a residential community designed specifically to provide safe, affordable housing for adults with disabilities and seniors. During the encounter, officers confronted Alex in the parking lot. Despite the situation calling for de-escalation and crisis support, the encounter quickly escalated, and Alex was tragically shot and killed by law enforcement.

Why Does This Matter?

Alex’s story is a devastating reminder of systemic failures that impact our community every day:

• Mental health and crisis responses remain deadly for neurodivergent individuals: Autistic individuals and those experiencing sensory overload or mental health distress are disproportionately at risk during encounters with law enforcement.
• A lack of specialized training costs lives: When first responders lack deep training in neurodiversity, crisis de-escalation, and disability-informed care, routine or supportive wellness checks can turn into fatal encounters.
• Housing safety must extend to emergency response: Safe housing for people with disabilities must be paired with community-first emergency support systems that prioritize care over force.

What Can We Do Together?

A Call to Action for Crisis Reform and Autistic Safety

As a community, we must channel our grief into demanding structural changes that protect disabled lives:

• Advocate for non-police crisis response teams: Push state and local leaders to fully fund mobile crisis units staffed by mental health professionals and peer specialists rather than armed law enforcement for wellness checks.
• Demand mandatory, robust neurodiversity training: Urge local police departments to partner with self-advocates to implement mandatory training on autism awareness, sensory processing, and non-verbal communication.
• Support self-advocacy and community safety infrastructure: Ensure that specialized housing communities have direct access to community-based emergency intervention resources.

Alex LaMorie’s life, advocacy, and light mattered deeply. His death must serve as a catalyst for immediate, meaningful reform in how our society responds to individuals in crisis.

In solidarity,

Ian Allan

Self-Advocate for The Arc of Northern Virginia