Aaron Swartz, one of the founders of the social network Reddit, is dead after hanging himself in his Brooklyn apartment on Jan. 11, 2013.
His family issued a statement about his death on Saturday, expressing their shock over the talented 26-year-old's death.
Swartz not only co-founded Reddit, he also started the site, DemandProgress.org in 2010 in an effort to ‘campaign against the Internet censorship bills SOPA/PIPA.’
The following statement was issued to the press by Aaron Swartz' family and his partner:
"Our beloved brother, son, friend, and partner Aaron Swartz hanged himself on Friday in his Brooklyn apartment. We are in shock, and have not yet come to terms with his passing.
Aaron’s insatiable curiosity, creativity, and brilliance; his reflexive empathy and capacity for selfless, boundless love; his refusal to accept injustice as inevitable – these gifts made the world, and our lives, far brighter. We’re grateful for our time with him, to those who loved him and stood with him, and to all of those who continue his work for a better world.
Aaron’s commitment to social justice was profound, and defined his life. He was instrumental to the defeat of an Internet censorship bill; he fought for a more democratic, open, and accountable political system; and he helped to create, build, and preserve a dizzying range of scholarly projects that extended the scope and accessibility of human knowledge. He used his prodigious skills as a programmer and technologist not to enrich himself but to make the Internet and the world a fairer, better place. His deeply humane writing touched minds and hearts across generations and continents. He earned the friendship of thousands and the respect and support of millions more."
AlterNet reports that Swartz had depression and was was dealing with legal issues.
Swartz was indicted for illegally downloading documents from the academic journal storage archive JSTOR in 2011. He pleaded not guilty in October of 2012.
Funeral services for Reddit founder Aaron Swartz are scheduled for Tuesday, January 15.
Sources: The Raw Story, AlterNet
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