“he knew they’d all have to live with what the saw for the rest of their lives and that it would torment them. He got the most mileage he could out of it.”
I doubt he was thinking of the impact it would have on them. Suicide tends to be done for selfish reasons.
IMO he was more likely just wanting to be noticed.
If all he wanted was to commit suicide he would have done it out in the woods all by himself.
There were other factors driving his choice of place and making sure he had an audience.
It is too bad this kind of thing happens but there is one less potential mass murderer the rest of the town has to worry about tonight.