Johnston Parents to Meet Tuesday to Focus on Aftermath of Student Deaths

Parents in the Johnston school district can attend a meeting on Tuesday to help address the recent deaths of two teenage students.

The meeting, to be held at 5 p.m. in the Johnston Middle School auditorium, includes a presentation by two experts in loss and grieving, according to the district's website. The experts will provide insights and guidance on how to talk to and support students.

Two 15-year-old boys, one a Johnston High School student and one a Johnston Middle School student, died in unrelated cases, authorities said. Cameron Carico, a ninth-grader, died Saturday morning, while Spenser Nelson, a 10th-grader, died on Sunday night.

Counselors are helping students at Johnston schools today following the apparent suicides of the two teenagers over the weekend.

This is likely a difficult and confusing time for students, said Johnston Superintendent Clay Guthmiller in an email to parents Sunday. So the Johnston school district has asked for help from experts in the Des Moines school district and Iowa Health Systems, the district’s Student Assistance Program provider, in supporting students.

Experts will continue to be available as needed, he said. Students have been encouraged to reach out to family, friends and teachers for support and to express their feelings. School officials are encouraging students to follow their normal schedule when possible.

If a student is experiencing difficulty outside of school hours, parents may contact Iowa Health Student Assistance Program at (515) 263-4004.

"As arrangements are released regarding visitation and funeral services, we will provide that information to students," Guthmiller wrote.

"We will continue to provide more information as it becomes available," he said. "Please know that we care very deeply about your student. Feel free to contact the district office if you have any questions."

Warning Signs for Troubled Teens

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resulting in about 4,400 deaths.

According to the CDC, risk factors include:

• History of previous suicide attempts.
• Family history of suicide.
• History of depression or other mental illness.
• Alcohol or drug abuse.
• Stressful life event or loss.
• Easy access to lethal methods.
• Exposure to suicidal behavior of others.
• Incarceration.

The Website Helpguide.org was launched in 1999 by Robert and Jeanne Segal after the suicide of their daughter, Morgan, and claims 1 million visitors weekly. They advise that when young people talk about suicide, it should be taken seriously as a cry for help.

Major warning signs that a young person may be considering suicide include:

• A young person may talk about killing or harming him/herself.
• A young person may talk about death and dying.
• A young person may seek out things that could be used in a suicide attempt, such as a weapon or drugs.
• More subtle, but equally dangerous, is hopelessness, which studies have shown as a strong predictor of suicide.
• Dramatic mood swings.
• Sudden personality changes, such as going from outgoing to withdrawn, or from well-behaved to rebellious.
• A loss of interest in day-to-day activities and personal appearance.
• Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits.