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Milwaukee city leaders and the community are mourning the sudden death of east side Alderperson Jonathan Brostoff.Authorities found Brostoff, 41, Monday morning in a parking lot near 124th Street and Lincoln Avenue at Greenfield Park in West Allis.The West Allis Police Department is investigating his death as a suicide. In 2019, Brostoff wrote an op-ed in Urban Milwaukee revealing his struggles with mental illness and previously trying to take his own life.Brostoff served as a state representative between 2015 and 2022 before joining the Milwaukee Common Council in November 2022. While holding office, Brostoff volunteered with organizations like Dryhootch, which runs coffee shops for veterans to meet up while getting help and resources. Otis Winstead, president and CEO for the organization, said Brostoff has been visiting the coffee shop for years, sitting with and supporting the local veterans. “He was the unsung hero. He was that guy who didn’t make a fuss about who he was or what he was or what title he had but he was always doing something positive,” Winstead said. “And his message about mental health, we need to take that right and take it seriously for our friends, our family members, for veterans, nonveterans, across the board.”Gov. Tony Evers in Milwaukee for Election Day on Tuesday said losing Brostoff is a tragedy for Milwaukee and the whole state.”It was a shock. Its horrific for the city, obviously his family, and its just something that Ill never forget,” Evers said. “Just a few weeks ago he was talking about how important the work he does and how happy he was.”Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he had spoken to Brostoff almost daily over the last week and has wondered if one last conversation or phone call could have changed things. “He was a fierce advocate for people who suffered from mental health issues, a fierce advocate for folks who were deaf or hard of hearing,” said Johnson. “He leaves behind a really, really incredible legacy, and I am proud to have called him a friend.”A GoFundMe fundraiser has been started to support Brostoff’s wife and four children. Resources are available for anyone in crisis. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24/7. Call or text 988.If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here.