Sammamish Teen Commits Suicide at Skyline High School

Sammamish Police confirmed that a 16-year-old student of Skyline High School took his own life last night, Dec. 13.

At about 9:30 p.m., the teen called 9-1-1 and told dispatchers what he intended to do, said Sergeant Jessica Sullivan. Officers arrived at the school's parking lot about 4 minutes after the initial call, where they found the boy.

There are resources available for children at risk; please refer to this Sammamish-Issaquah Patch article, in which professionals discuss following the 2011 suicide.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Youth Eastside Services offers mental health/teen suicide prevention counseling and support as well.

Skyline sent the following message out to families this morning:

Dear Skyline Community,

We have shared some very sad news with our staff and students this morning, and I wanted you to be the next to know: One of our students died last night in the lower parking area of campus. Sammamish Police confirm that it was suicide.  While I cannot share more details out of respect for the student's family, our primary concern is supporting our school community during this difficult time. We have a crisis plan in place, which includes extra counselors, outreach to students and staff we know were close to the student, and preparation by all of our staff to help students process and to be watchful for signs of grief.

Some students may feel more comfortable talking to you at home or they may delay signs of grieving. Further, an event such as this may generate in your student a resurgence or reflection of grief if they have lost a loved one.  As such, when considering what to say during such a sensitive conversation, the main goal is to help your student express his/her feelings in a safe and supportive environment. It is often best to respond with empathetic statements of understanding rather than trying to change your child's feelings or cheer him/her up.

Please be on the lookout for significant change in any of these physical or emotional behaviors that might indicate grief in your child:

• Sadness
• Anger, irritability
• Anxiety
• Loneliness
• Numbness, indifference, detachment
• Listlessness
• Headaches
• Stomachaches
• Nausea
• Change in appetite

Do not hesitate to call our counseling center at 425-837-7887 for guidance or more information—we want all of our students to have the assistance they need during this sorrowful time. There are also many good resources about grief available online.

Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased student.  We believe in our common strength together as the Spartan community as we move forward supporting each other in the days to come.

Sincerely,
Principal Lisa Hechtman