A Missouri teen was found dead in a field near a high school from an apparent suicide, according to reports.
Sergio Salas, 14, died from a gunshot wound, according to the Monett Police Department. Police responded Monday afternoon to the discovery of his body in a field north of Monett High School where the football team and band practice.
“No foul play is suspected,” Monett Police Chief George Daoud told the Monett Times. “No students were in danger at any time.”
Daoud said the gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted. An autopsy found no cause of suspicious death and the investigation is still ongoing.
Salas was in eighth grade at Monett Middle School, according to his online obituary. The teen was remembered as an active member of his church and enjoyed playing in the school band.
“He was an aspiring musician, avidly listening to Hip-Hop music,” his obituary stated. “He enjoyed playing video games, swimming and going to amusement parks.”
Superintendent Russ Moreland told news station KY3 that police began searching for Salas around noon after he didn’t show up to school. It wasn’t until around 5 p.m. that his body was located.
“It’s a tough day,” said Moreland. “There’s not an easy way, obviously, to deal with this.”
In a phone interview with Springfield News-Leader, Moreland said counselors have been at Monett Middle School since Sept. 17 for students and staff who are struggling.
“This is really hard on kids and it’s really hard on staff as well, so we wanted to make sure we were meeting their needs,” Moreland said.
Youth Suicides On The Rise
The rate of American teens and young adults dying from suicide has reached its highest level in nearly two decades, the latest data of Center of Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the National Institution of Mental Health, with boys are more likely than girls to die from suicide.
The CDC and NIMH encourage everyone to take the “5 action steps” for communicating with someone who may be suicidal:
- Ask someone you are worried about if they’re thinking about suicide.
- Keep them safe. Reduce access to lethal means for those at risk.
- Be there with them. Listen to what they need.
- Help them connect with ongoing support like the Lifeline (1-800-273-8255).
- Stay in touch to see how they’re doing.
