Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Student tragedies highlight the need for survivors to seek help
CORAL SPRINGS – The apparent suicides of two Parkland school shooting survivors in one week underscore the need for increased mental health resources to help those still traumatized by the tragedy.
News of both deaths spread quickly on social media, sending shock waves through a community that is still healing.
“It’s just been unfortunate that we lost another one,” said Ryan Petty, whose 14-year-old daughter, Alaina, was one of the 17 killed last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Parents, students, school officials and other members of the Stoneman Douglas community met Sunday evening, Petty said. The group discussed the need for awareness and brainstormed what to ask their family and friends who are struggling and where to go for help.
“We have students and staff that are still at risk,” Petty said.
The group also adopted the Columbia Protocol, Petty said, which is a framework for checking whether a family member or friend is in crisis.
After his daughter’s death, Petty launched the Walk Up Foundation to help prevent suicide.
“We have to recognize after an event like this, there is trauma,
anxiety and depression,” Petty said. “We have to educate parents and teachers to recognize the signs and ask the right questions.”
School district spokeswoman Kathy Koch did not respond to questions Sunday.
Teens who notice their friends might be suicidal are encouraged to report it by calling 211 in Broward County, Petty said.
It’s important to look out for warning signs, says Jackie Rosen, who founded Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention after her own son killed himself 31 years ago.
Warning signs include changes in appetite and behavior; sleeping too much or not at all; apathy and fatigue; trouble concentrating or being indecisive; withdrawing from family, friends and social activities; and giving away prized possessions and saying goodbye to friends.
Jared Moskowitz, the state’s emergency management director and former representative from Parkland, urged the Legislature to fund more mental health resources for the Stoneman Douglas community.
“Now is the time for the Florida Legislature to help,” he tweeted. “Mental health is a bipartisan issue.”
Petty said he has been in contact with Moskowitz and Gov. Ron DeSantis over the past few days.
Sydney Aiello, a senior at Stoneman Douglas last year, battled post traumatic stress disorder after the shooting. She died from suicide March 17. Her funeral was Friday.
The second student from Stoneman Douglas died Saturday night in what police are calling an apparent suicide. He was a 17-year-old sophomore at the school, Petty said.
Police did not release the identity of the student Sunday but confirmed that he attended Stoneman Douglas.
Sources have shared his identity with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, but the newspaper is withholding the name out of consideration for the minor and his family.
It was unclear Sunday whether his death was related to last year’s tragedy.
“I can’t tell you if it’s related to the Parkland shooting,” said Officer Tyler Reik, a spokesman for the Coral Springs Police Department. “We don’t know the reasoning behind it. It’s still an ongoing investigation. It hasn’t even been confirmed as a suicide.”
Rosen urges parents to talk to their kids about what they’re thinking and feeling.
“One of the most important things you can do is listen to your child,” she said. “If they say, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore’ or ‘I’ve had enough,’” it may be time to seek professional intervention.
Rosen listed questions to ask your child: “Are you thinking of hurting yourself? Have you made a plan? Do you have what you need to carry out the plan? When are you planning on carrying out the plan?”
School shooting survivors live with anxiety and fear, sleepless nights and wandering thoughts — reminders of the sights, sounds and smells of Feb. 14, 2018. Extreme anxiety and depression can last for months and years, said Dr. Jan Faust, professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern University and an expert on PTSD in children.
Survivors may feel angry, irritable or nauseous; they might tune out to protect themselves from feelings of grief.
“It’s really important for parents and teachers to observe
children in the classroom to look for those warning flags,” Faust said. “If their grades dip, or if they become more withdrawn and aren’t as social. They may start to cry out of nowhere and parents and teachers need to let them know it’s OK.”
People still affected by the shooting can seek counseling through the Broward County Resiliency Center at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, not far from the Stoneman Douglas campus.
The center, at 10561 Trails End, is open weekdays from noon to 7 p.m. and weekends from noon to 5 p.m.
The Stoneman Douglas community can also find help seven days per week at the Eagles’ Haven, a new wellness center at 5655 Coral Ridge Drive, or by calling 954-315-8688 or 954-203-4249.