Milpitas High School student’s death presumed to have been a suicide

Yesterday morning, October 13, the Milpitas Police Department (MPD) was contacted by the California Highway Patrol at 8:11am regarding a Milpitas resident who had dialed 911 by cell phone. The resident said he’d found his son deceased in their home, then hung up.

MPD personnel, joined by Milpitas Fire Department (MFD) workers, were at the residence 2 minutes later, at 8:13. The deceased boy was 15 years old. His death is presumed to have been a suicide. Per Santa Clara County protocol, the County District Attorney’s Office — Child Death Investigation Team has assigned detectives to investigate the death, although no foul play was discovered.

The teenager who passed went to Milpitas High. In an interview with The Milpitas Beat, Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) Board Vice President Kelly Yip-Chuan said, “It’s very tragic; I know the student. I was his substitute teacher on many occasions at Burnett. He was also in my daughter’s class at MHS. Our prayers are with the family.”

MUSD, in tandem with MPD’s Police Community Relations Unit and School Resource Officers, is providing emotional and psychological support to students. MUSD has likewise ensured the availability of in-school counselors and psychologists.

Said MUSD Board President Chris Norwood in conversation with The Beat, “Milpitas Unified School District is a close-knit community. Anytime something tragic or difficult happens at any of our schools it is experienced throughout the city. This difficult tragedy serves as a reminder of the preciousness of life and what is most important — taking care of each other with sincerity and empathy. My deepest condolences to the family. The school district is providing counseling and mental health resources at all school sites for those in need.”

In a statement, MPD wrote, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man’s family and our community.  We are all deeply impacted by this tragic loss of life. In addition to assisting our community through this tragedy, we have also enlisted the assistance of our department’s Peer Support Team and Chaplain to assist our staff that were affected today.”

The statement also directed those in need to mental health resources: “To connect with a trained volunteer counselor, the County Suicide Crisis Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 1-866-278-4204, or by texting RENEW to 741741.  Services are free and confidential. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-855-278-4204) provides 24/7 free and confidential support as well.”