A former gymnastics coach killed himself on Thursday after being hit with a series of counts of sexual assault and physical abuse by young athletes in Michigan, according to authorities.
John Geddert – who worked for years alongside the famous gymnastics predator, Larry Nassar – was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday afternoon, reported the local WLNS station, citing state officials.
Earlier that day, the state attorney general issued 24 charges against Geddert that could have put him behind bars for life.
Geddert’s death was confirmed by the Michigan attorney general, who called his suicide a “tragic end” to the terrible story.
“My office was notified that John Geddert’s body was found in the late afternoon after he committed suicide. This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved, ”said Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement.
Nessel claimed that Geddert used his credentials as a United States Olympic coach to convince parents to have their children train at his gym in Dimondale, Michigan, where Nassar served as his internist.
But the AG said the treatment it gave them resulted in “human trafficking”, as athletes were forced to work in “extreme conditions” that resulted in injuries.
He was also hit by two counts of sexual assault on a teenager in 2012, one charge of ongoing criminal enterprise and one charge of lying to investigators investigating the sexual abuse of gymnasts in Nassar.