A 13-year-old California boy was found dead at his middle school on March 5 in an apparent suicide.
Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to Don Juan Avila Middle School around 6:30 a.m. after a call led to the discovery of the boy's body.
Parents and children gathered at a nearby park to talk about what happened.
“When you see stuff like that, you want to talk to somebody about it—a teacher, or if you know the kid’s parents,” Ian Ellison told his daughter. “You have to say something about it because we end up with a situation like this.”
Psychologist Kita Curry said that more than 500 children between the ages of 10 and 14 committed suicide in 2018.
“We need to realize that when some people are in terrible pain, they can’t figure out another solution," Curry told KTLA. "They go to this solution and we need to notice when people seem to be feeling different and feeling helpless, and reach out to them.”
If children see a friend struggling or have someone tell them they're thinking of suicide, they should alert a parent or teacher, she said.
It might betray a trust or confidence but "it's better than going to their funeral," Curry added.
Student Jocelyn Ellison said at the park that it's tough for children to ask for help.
Students said the apparent suicide, though, may mark a change in how the topic is discussed and how students interact with their peers.
"I hope everyone comes together just saying hi to someone will make some day," student Makenna August said.
"Anytime you can share life and pains and sorrows that you go through helps children deal with what they're feeling so they don't feel so alone," added her mother Traci August.