Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden has died by suicide inside the federal building where he worked in downtown San Diego, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Haden’s body was discovered last Wednesday after San Diego police received a report that he might be missing. Officers responded to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building and found him dead inside an office. Police said they did not initially suspect foul play. The Medical Examiner’s Office has now determined that Haden died by suicide.
Haden had served as a federal prosecutor with the Southern District of California since 2010. He twice served as acting U.S. Attorney during leadership transitions, in 2023 and 2025. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran who completed two overseas deployments.
Following his death, U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon described it as “one of the darkest days in our office’s history,” and remembered Haden as “a beacon of light.” The death has drawn attention to the pressures faced by prosecutors and other federal employees, while colleagues continue to mourn Haden’s loss.
