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Suicide In Kansas City High School

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Suicide In Kansas City High School
“Breaking: student fatally shoots herself in Kansas City high school.” I stare at my phone screen, horrified. I know kids who attend that school. How could this happen? The headline glares back at me as I tentatively tap the link to the news website. My thumb trembles as I slowly scroll through the article. “The student committed suicide during school hours, as students and faculty heard a single gunshot around 7:50 a.m. The student was later found dead with the gun in a school restroom.” Shudders run down my spine. So...the people I know...were in the building when she died? This instance horrifies me, but suicide is usually not that surprising anymore. In 2015, the CDC reported suicide as the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10-24. …show more content…
But with 20% of teens dying from suicide, mental illness isn’t a subject to laugh off. I struggled with suicidal thoughts in middle school, and suffered from depression throughout my sophomore year. Eventually I did attend a group therapy and self-help program, drastically improving my mental health. But we need more programs to not only educate the community on mental health and illness, but offer practical tools for identifying and treating mental
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