LAKE MARY, Fla. – Classes, athletic events and extracurricular activities have been canceled at Lake Mary High after a student committed suicide in the school auditorium Wednesday morning, officials said.
“First and foremost, our hearts are truly heavy and we are deeply saddened by the events of (Wednesday)," Seminole County Public Schools said in a statement. "Each and every SCPS family member extend our condolences to the student’s family and to the LMHS family."
Sheriff Dennis Lemma said in a morning news conference that a teacher reported hearing gunfire just before 8 a.m., about 10 minutes after the 17-year-old student asked to leave class and go to the bathroom. The student was then found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lemma said.
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SCPS Superintendent Walt Griffin and Lake Mary High School Principal Mickey Reynolds said grief counselors will be on campus to help students cope.
"As always, we are here to support you," they said in a joint statement. "We wish to share that grief counselors are on campus today for all students and staff who need assistance. Please be assured our SCPS crisis team will remain in place as long as necessary."
Lake Mary High will not hold classes Thursday, although grief counselors will be available in the Media Center at the school from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
All Lake Mary High athletic and extracurricular events scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled, officials said.
"We wish to remind all of our students and families that our anonymous Speak-Out Hotline is always available at 800-423-TIPS, via our P3 Campus App, or through the website: www.speakouthotline.org," SCPS said.
Crisis counselors at locally operated centers across the U.S. are available 24 hours a day through The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.