Student Commits Suicide after Surviving Mass Killing

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A second student who survived last year’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has apparently died by suicide, police confirmed today.

The juvenile, whose name has not been released, died by an “apparent suicide” on Saturday night, Coral Springs police spokesman Tyler Reik told HuffPost. The deceased was a current student at the high school.

Detectives and the county medical examiner’s office are continuing to investigate the matter, Reik said.

The family of 19-year-old Sydney Aiello confirmed Friday that she had died by suicide after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt after a former student opened fire on the high school last February, killing 17 people and injuring over a dozen others. 

Aiello had been close friends with Meadow Pollack, a Stoneman Douglas senior who was fatally shot during last year’s massacre.

David Hogg, a prominent Parkland shooting survivor turned gun violence activist, shared his grief on Twitter Sunday.

“How many more kids have to be taken from us as a result of suicide for the government / school district to do anything?” the 18-year-old tweeted.

Broward County Public Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Though the details surrounding the second student’s death remain unclear, Dan Reidenberg, executive director of suicide prevention nonprofit SAVE, told HuffPost that PTSD and survivor guilt can be a factor in such situations.

“Teens facing graduations, proms, other major life events knowing that their friends will not be there due to the mass shooting can be really re-traumatized by life events,” he told HuffPost.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

• This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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