On Jan. 20, 2026, Blackhawk Fire Protection District firefighter Ali Jasim jumped from the I-74 Bridge into the icy waters of the Mississippi River, ending his young life.
Haley DeGreve, founder and CEO of the Gray Matters Collective, who has worked tirelessly for years as a suicide prevention advocate, wants to help be sure that never happens to another person. On Jan. 23, she posted a petition on Change.org (the goal is 10,000 signatures) calling on Illinois and Iowa leaders to install suicide prevention barriers, including a net along the entire 3,400-foot length of the bridge between Moline and Bettendorf.
The petition – which had 3,532 signatures as of Jan. 30 – says the Quad Cities region has a suicide rate higher than the national average, and is a “preventable tragedy that deeply impacts families, friends, first responders, and our entire community. The bridge is not the cause of suicide, but it is a means—and means can be made safer.”
“Research shows that evidence-based prevention measures such as physical barriers, visible crisis hotline signage, and emergency phones connected directly to the 988 Lifeline or local crisis lines significantly reduce suicide attempts at known locations,” the petition says. “These interventions create critical moments for pause, intervention, and connection to help.
“Communities across the country and around the world have successfully implemented these measures, including the Golden Gate Bridge, where a safety net has saved countless lives.”
“While not a complete solution, these steps are proven, practical, and life-saving,” the petition says. “The I-74 Bridge connects the Quad Cities and symbolizes movement and unity. It should also reflect safety, care, and hope.
“We are calling on the government entities and authorities responsible for the I-74 Bridge to work collaboratively with the community to explore (and implement) suicide prevention measures, such as physical barriers, crisis signage, and emergency phones linked to immediate support.
“This petition will be shared with local legislators, transportation authorities, and those who oversee the I-74 Bridge in hopes of advancing prevention measures on this bridge and encouraging similar protections on all bridges throughout the Quad Cities region,” it says. “By signing this petition, you are standing up for prevention, compassion, and shared responsibility. Together, we can advocate for solutions that protect lives and reinforce the belief that every life matters.”
DeGreve (a 2020 Augustana grad who works in communications for John Deere) has friends who are first responders and she heard about the Jan. 20 suicide from the bridge by text.
“Obviously when things like this happen, a lot of people do contact Gray Matters,” she said on Thursday, Jan. 29. “It's just absolutely devastating. I mean, even after this happened, I'm driving home the next day from work and I'm seeing more authorities on the bridge and found out later that there was someone who had tried to attempt again, thankfully, was not successful, but someone who was there contemplating using the bridge as a means to end their life.”
DeGreve thought of preventive bridge measures last year and talked to a few police departments, and one response was that it wasn’t worth the cost for the very low number of people who use a bridge to kill themselves.
“And I feel like one life lost off of that bridge is too many,” she said Thursday, “So I started the petition, we've had a lot of support, but we've also had some people that have had concerns, which I've listened to all the concerns. People who have said, you know, a net is far too expensive. It'll never happen, put the funding elsewhere.”
“But my response to that is the petition is not directly calling for a net. It's calling for suicide prevention measures.”
Other measures include a barrier, signs displaying the suicide prevention hotline (988), or a phone that connects to a local hotline.
“I did my research and there are other bridges similar in sizes to the I-74 that have done barriers that have only been about 30 to 60 thousand dollars,” DeGreve said. “And then there's other bridges that have stronger barriers that have been about $200,000.”
She did get email responses from the Illinois and Iowa departments of transportation, saying their teams will be evaluating the issue and they’ll get back in touch.
“That's pretty much the crux of it. They didn't give a yes or no or really kind of where they were in the support of it,” she said, noting she is good friends with suicide prevention activist Kevin Hines, who has a consulting company that actually works with Department of Transportations and different city administrators to help them identify engineers on the bridge, how they can get the best barriers in place.
“And so I did send them Kevin's contact and they thanked me for that and just told me that they would be in touch,” DeGreve said. “So I'm hoping to hear back at some point.”
Illinois State Rep. Gregg Johnson (D-East Moline) is one of the elected officials mentioned in the online petition and he is open to any possible solutions to prevent suicide from local bridges.
“Reaching out to DOT, I have no issue with doing it,” he said Friday. “Anything we do over the bridges has to be joined by both states. We are reaching out, to have a conversation with DOT.
“We are dealing with mental health of our homeless population as well. I really appreciate the work Gray Matters does, and Foster’s Voice,” Johnson said. “Our community is lucky to have those organizations. I’m open to do anything we can to do to save someone’s life and give them hope.”
Hines, who had jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000, was one of the main backers of the San Francisco suicide prevention net that was completed there in January 2024, after six years of construction.
Despite the more than 2,000 suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge between 1937 and 2018, the city of San Francisco didn’t install a net before because “they didn't want to ruin the aesthetics of the bridge,” DeGreve said.
“That is very similar to what I told the Department of Transportation from Illinois and Iowa was, we can't be concerned about the aesthetics of a bridge. Let's talk about one human life being saved,” she said. “When you look at all the means of suicide, the bridge is the most effective thing that we can look at because, yes, there are a lot of deaths by suicide by firearm and drug overdose. And there are precautions that we can put in place for that.”
“I think the bridge as a means of suicide, to me, that feels like the thing that we can do right now,” DeGreve said. “It feels like it's something that we can actually get done. A lot of people might not have access to pills or firearms, but everyone has access to the bridge.”
The I-74 Bridge pedestrian path opened in late April 2022. On the western edge of the $1-billion bridge, it is 14 feet wide, over 4,000 feet long, and the bridge arches rise 245 feet high. A lookout feature in the middle of the path is a circular blue-green, glass Oculus, which is lit from below at night, as are benches at the overlook.
The two states and cities of Moline and Bettendorf responded to a different tragedy that killed two men on the bridge path soon after it opened. Charles Bowen, 22, was walking with Ethan Gonzalez, 21, and Anthony Castaneda, 18, on May 22, 2022, across the I-74 bridge’s pedestrian walkway when a car entered the walkway and struck them. The crash killed Gonzalez and Castaneda and seriously injured Bowen.
Physical barriers were later put at both entrances to the path, to prevent other vehicles from driving onto it. A total of $2.4 million in court settlements were ordered to be paid to victims’ families.
- Bowen will receive $450,000 from the City of Bettendorf, and $30,000 from the City of Moline.
- The family of Gonzalez will receive $750,000 from Bettendorf.
- The family of Castaneda will receive $1.125 million from Bettendorf and $70,000 from Moline.
Golden Gate success
DeGreve posted on LinkedIn Wednesday, Jan. 28:
“My dear friend Kevin Hines, a survivor of the Golden Gate Bridge, often shares his story with these words: ‘The millisecond my hands left the rail, it was instant regret.’”“Because of stories like Kevin’s (and decades of advocacy that followed) the Golden Gate Bridge now has a suicide prevention net, and suicides there have dramatically decreased,” she wrote, noting a net is not the only solution.
According to the Bridge Rail Foundation, the Golden Gate Bridge suicide deterrent net was completed in January 2024, along the full 1.7-mile length of the iconic bridge on the east and west sides including around the two towers. The net extends 20 feet out from the bridge and is placed 20 feet below the bridge road deck. In total, the net covers about 3.4 miles.
“Completion of the net is a significant step in prevention of suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge—and marks the completion of almost twenty years of advocacy from the surviving parents and friends of bridge suicide victims, crisis center leaders and prevention advocates who make up the Bridge Rail Foundation,” says the group website.
Between 1937 and 2024, an estimated 2,000 people jumped to their deaths from the Golden Gate Bridge.
The net is made of marine grade stainless steel. It is not bouncy, soft, or flexible like a fishing net or trampoline. The net is very taut and tightly woven. “It's like jumping on a cheese grater,” according to the Golden Gate Bridge District General Manager Denis Mulligan. If a person jumps into the net, they are highly likely to sustain significant bodily injuries including but not limited to broken bones, physical head trauma, and other serious injuries.
Construction of the suicide deterrent net began in 2018 and was finally completed in 2024 after significant, unexpected delays.
The Suicide Deterrent Net project also included wind resistance improvements, railing replacements, reconfiguration of the maintenance travelers to accommodate the net and other bridge improvements.
Even before its completion, the net began saving lives. While the net was still under construction, there were five suicides in the first half of 2023, whereas, there were 15 suicides in the first half of 2022. The number of bridge patrol interventions have also considerably declined as word of the net spreads.
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District says the net is working as intended to save lives and deter people from coming to the bridge to harm themselves. Over the last 20 years, on average, there were 30 confirmed suicides at the bridge every year. In 2024, one year after the net was completed, there were eight suicides at the bridge, reducing the annual number of suicides by 73%.
Attempts have also declined since the net was completed. In a typical year before the net, staff would successfully intervene with up to 200 individuals at the bridge. In 2024, bridge staff performed 132 successful interventions.
In cases where someone falls into the net, teams of trained professionals stand ready to perform rescues. District staff have been coordinating and training with local fire departments and law enforcement agencies to respond to net rescues in a timely manner and with minimal disruption to traffic. Thus far, the interagency teams have performed several successful rescues from the net using existing personnel and equipment.
The total project cost, including construction and administration, was approximately $224 million and was funded through federal and state grants, bridge tolls, Prop 63 monies, and individual and foundation donations.
Helping first responders and correctional officers
Firefighter Ali Jasim has been called a respected public servant known for his kindness, dedication, and infectious smile.
Jasim, who served with the Blackhawk Fire Protection District, died Jan. 20, 2026, after police responded to reports of a man in distress on the I-74 Bridge over the Mississippi River. Despite intervention efforts, Jasim entered the river and was later recovered and pronounced deceased, authorities said.
In addition to his firefighting role, Jasim worked as a corrections officer for the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and previously as an ER technician. Fire departments and first responders across the region shared tributes, remembering him as a compassionate colleague who dedicated his life to helping others.
His death has sparked renewed conversations about mental health among first responders. A GoFundMe created to help transport his body to his home country quickly surpassed its $15,000 goal.
The Rock Island Fire Department posted on Facebook Jan. 22 that their members are heartbroken at the passing of Jasim.
“Ali worked in a local hospital emergency department for many years, and our members knew him well from their daily patient transports to the hospital. Ali also did many ride-alongs with the Rock Island Fire Department and had dreamed of a career in the fire service since early childhood,” the post said.
“Our members loved and adored Ali. They loved his bright smile and his contagiously positive attitude. We extend our very deepest condolences to all who knew Ali. Especially his beloved family and his closest friends.
“When one of us hurts, we all hurt, and we share in the grief of our brothers and sisters of the Blackhawk Fire Protection District,” Rock Island Fire Department said.
Gray Matters Collective (founded in 2019 at Augustana College) also works to help prevent first responder and correctional officer suicides. Correctional officers are eight times more likely to die by suicide than even other first responders, DeGreve said.
“That’s something that personally, I've been looking into a lot, but first responders in general definitely seem to have a higher suicide rate than other occupations,” she said, noting the federal prison in Thomson, Ill., has seen several suicides of correctional officers.
About 14 officers last March got two days of national suicide prevention training from Gray Matters, DeGreve said. There is a bill in Congress, to increase mental health support for correctional officers – H.R. 2305, the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act.
The Fraternal Order of Police has written members of Congress to back its passage. The bill is named for a 26-year-old correctional officer at Thomson Federal Prison, who died by suicide in March 2023.
“Law enforcement officers work in a difficult and dangerous profession that can be taxing on their mental health. This is especially true for those who serve as corrections officers, as they are frequently physically and sexually assaulted by the inmates with whom they interact every day,” said the letter from FOP president Patrick Yoes.
“Unsurprisingly, these hardworking officers have suicide rates significantly higher than the national average. It is important that these officers, who risk their lives every day, have access to the most comprehensive and timely mental healthcare possible,” it says.
“Your bill would establish a grant program that would provide funding to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, States, and localities to carry out mental health screenings and provide referrals, where applicable, to mental healthcare providers for those corrections officers who are struggling with their mental health. Improving the mental health of these officers could save their lives. It will also allow them to do their jobs safely and more efficiently, and help with officer recruitment and retention,” the letter said.
While Gray Matters chapters are focused in schools (there are about 60 at Illinois and Iowa high schools, colleges and universities), DeGreve has seen more interest in the past year from different kinds of organizations.
“We've had physical therapists reach out. We've had people who work at banks reach out. We've had correctional officers, police officers, firemen,” she said. “We've had really a big mix this year. More specifically of working adults and community members that have wanted to get more involved, which has been really good because, primarily Gray Matters was really focused on youth suicide prevention, which we've tried really, really hard in this area and still working towards that.
“But it's been also really good to have some working adults involved that want to participate and want to learn how to advocate,” she said. “We train people to be advocates and hope that they take that to their communities and their workplaces and they make it better. It's been really inspiring to me to see so many people who have messaged us, even in the past week, asking to get involved, because that's the whole point.
“Advocacy and suicide prevention is never about blame. It's about action and trying to do better in the community,” DeGreve said.
“I always tell people when I educate or give presentations, we can talk about warning signs all day, and we should. But we should also be super hyper vigilant and aware that if someone around us could absolutely be struggling and we might not ever see or understand the warning signs,” she said. “And so you have to check in on people anyway. You just do.”
“I’ve had friends that have died by suicide, and they would have been the last person that I ever would have thought was struggling,” DeGreve said. “Sometimes you just really don't know. As a society, we have to just keep checking in on each other, making mental health a consistent conversation. You know, I think about it all the time, especially in the Midwest. We talk about the weather so much, and if we talked about mental health as much as we talked about the weather, I really think we would catch so many more warning signs in our community.”
Looking at Centennial Bridge options
She also attended the public meeting at the Current Iowa hotel in Davenport this past week on options for refurbishing the Centennial Bridge, between Rock Island and Davenport, including a potential new bridge.
“I spoke with the Iowa Department of Transportation and a few of the project managers that are overseeing this new initiative. And they were extremely receptive and told me that I was talking to them at the right time,” DeGreve said of suicide prevention measures.
“They want to have a meeting with me and Kevin Hines and they want to learn more so that when they make updates or if they build a new bridge, that they will highly consider having suicide prevention barriers,” she said, noting people have jumped from the Centennial as well. “A lot of them didn't even know about the I-74 bridge death. So, when I was there talking with them, I probably talked to eight different people and they all seemed extremely supportive and I gave them my card and contact. And so that makes me feel very hopeful.”
“It's something that we really, really, I think, as a Quad Cities community, we have to prioritize,” DeGreve said. “The time is now. We can't wait for more people to die, to care. I mean, we just can't.”
Research says there's a myth out there about suicide that if someone decides that they're going to end their life, that they’re fully committed to it and nothing can stop them, she noted.
“And from what I was reading this past week, that professionals are saying that's not always the case, that most of the time people who are suicidal and have a plan are still contemplating and are still in a great deal of pain and are not totally set on the plan,” DeGreve said. “And so it does make you wonder, do people go to these public places because of the access, which I think, personally, I think the bridge is the most accessible thing.”
“But also, you know, is it a cry for help? Is it the last resort? Because I think about Kevin Hines story, and he talked about how he was at the bridge and he was crying, and he knew in his right mind that he didn't want to do this, but he was having such intense suicidal thoughts,” she said.
“And I think we really, really have to think about that, and we have to lean into that, and we have to know, especially when I think about bridge safety in general, just the fact that even if someone is not there to die by suicide, but let's say that they're there and they're just hanging out with friends and being goofy and someone gets up on the rail,” DeGreve said. “In general, we should have barriers on this bridge.”
Completed suicides from a bridge represent a small minority of total suicides every year. Firearms, poisoning, and suffocation represent more than 90 percent of all suicide methods, with jumping from a bridge among 8.2% of other methods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2023, 49,316 Americans died by suicide (far exceeding murder, at 19,800 homicides), and there were an estimated 1.5 million suicide attempts the same year, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The national rate in 2023 was 14.12 suicides per 100,000 population, and Iowa exceeded that rate, with 15.59 per 100,000 people.
The Quad Cities Behavioral Health Coalition recently posted on Facebook:
“We urge members of our community to sign this petition and to continue to share valuable information on local resources such as suicide prevention trainings, and mental health awareness programs in the area. We ALL have a role to play.”
Gray Matters is hosting a free 90-minute training on March 3 at the Moline Public Library. Email thegraymatterscollective@gmail.com for more information.
To sign the I-74 Bridge petition, click HERE.
If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, you can contact free, confidential crisis support 24 hours a day by calling 988, texting HOME to 741-741, or texting 838-255 for the Veterans Crisis Line.
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