A John Curtis eighth grader shot himself this morning on the campus near the gym. He is in critical condition at Ochsner Medical Center. The family has released his name, Joseph Lynn, and has asked that people pray for him.
For Curtis parents, the school is saying classes will continue, but you may pick up your children in person if you want.
In September, the Centers for Disease Control released a study of 2004 deaths (the most recent reliable data available) that said "suicide was the third leading cause of death among youths and young adults aged 10--24 years in the United States." It also conlcuded that suicides were up 8% in that age group from the year before, the largest single year increase since 1990.
The CDC has a suicide prevention website with good general information for both students and parents affected this latest incident.
ABC26 News will have more on this story on the 5pm and 6pm news.