A Kansas high school is in mourning after two of their students committed suicide this weekend.
Soccer players and Olathe Northwest High School juniors Ciara Webb and Cady Housh took their own lives on Friday and Sunday respectively. Students and teachers were notified just hours apart about the tragedies when they arrived for school Monday morning.
Webb, 16, was found dead in her home in Olathe on Friday afternoon. It was not disclosed how she ended her life.
News of her death spread through her friends and on social media over the weekend, and Housh posted several messages about her lost friend.
"Rest in peace Ciara," she wrote the evening that Webb died. "It's gonna be so hard not seeing her smiling face every day in the halls," she retweeted.
Early Sunday morning, Housh said that that weekend was the worst of her life, and retweeted a message encouraging the grieving not to give up.
At 8pm that evening, however, Housh stood in front of a train in Lenexa and was struck. She was taken to the hospital and died of her injuries.
Olathe Northwest administrators met with teachers before school on Monday to inform them of Webb's death, and provided them with resources to assist grieving students.
"Qualified counsellors, social workers, school psychologists, school resource officers from ONW, other schools/community resources were available for students upon their request or if any adult noticed that a student was struggling, Principal Gwen Poss wrote in a letter to parents. "Each student was told in their first hour about the death of Ciara Webb."
The school learned of Housh's death after first period began, and second period teachers had to inform students of the second untimely death.
"You dreaded going into the hallways," a student, Katie MacDonald, told the Kansas City Star regarding the emotionally devastating morning. "Class was fine, because I'm a freshman. But when you went into the hallways, that's when people that knew [the victims] were there."
Reportedly, some teachers burst into tears upon hearing news of the deaths, and many parents pulled their children out of school.
"Care was taken to ensure any student that was leaving campus had a parent with them or they were in direct contact with their parents," Poss said.
The principal also gave parents advice on how to discuss suicide and the deaths of Webb and Housh with their children.
"Ask them how they are feeling, be non-judgmental, and avoid any gossip related to details of the deaths or causes," she said. "Keep communication open and maintain high supervision and knowledge of their whereabouts. It will be vital that you are closely monitoring your student's social media accounts for messages being sent and received.
"Include in your conversations tonight these messages:
- Suicide is a horrible decision and is not an option.
- There is nothing they could have done or said to change the outcome of these tragic deaths.
- Emphasize that suicide is not the way to handle problems, no matter how big or how painful.
- Help is available. Talk to a parent, a teacher, any trusted adult.
- If they know of a friend that is struggling, let an adult know as soon as possible."
Those considering suicide are urged to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
