‘Laser cat’ teen whose picture went viral commits suicide

His photo was initially rejected by the school for inclusion in the yearbook, but the principal later posed with him in a new photo to promote animal adoption.

A 17-year-old high school student who became an Internet sensation ever since he petitioned to use a wacky photo of himself and his cat with lasers in the background for his high school yearbook picture has committed suicide.

Draven Rodriguez, described as quick-witted with a good sense of humor, was a senior at Schenectady High School and made national news when he attempted to use a portrait of him with his cat against a background of laser beams, a picture that became an Internet hit, according to a TimesUnion.com report.

His father, Jonathan Stewart, said that Rodriguez “made friends wherever he went,” according to the report.

One of those friends, a co-owner at a restaurant that he often went to, described him as “one of my favorite people in all of Schenectady.” Stewart said that “he had an empathy for the world and for other people that I think is rare in kids his age.”

Rodriguez was clearly different from other kids in his early years, opting to dye his hair green at the age of 9, which his parents agreed to as long as he brought home good grades. By middle school, he grew out of the green hair and into a shorter cut.

He liked to play guitar, smoke ribs, and learn words in Russian. His cat-and-laser photo was just part of his personality to try to achieve anything he wanted to.

He contacted a photographer based in the area, who helped him create the ridiculous portrait of him and holding Mr. Bigglesworth, with lasers streaking through the background and a larger image of Mr. Bigglesworth superimposed on the background.

However, the school was hesitant to approve such a photo, causing him to post it online to get support for it. It was an instant hit, and was even mentioned by Jimmy Fallon on the “Tonight Show,” as well as by talk-show host Ellen Degeneres.

The school rejected it for the portraits section of the yearbook, but the school’s principal, Diane Wilkinson, helped make a similar photo in which she herself posed with her own rescue Chihuahua along with Rodriguez and Mr. Bigglesworth. It will be featured in the yearbook with a special message on adopting pets.