An Arizona high school senior brought a gun to school and killed himself on Tuesday, television station KPHO reported.
At around 9 a.m., officials at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe notified a security officer that a student on campus was seen holding a weapon out in the open, KPHO reported.
The school was reportedly placed on lockdown while officials called the police.
The security officer attempted to convince Marcus Wheeler, 18, to put down the gun, but the student shot himself in the head, according to the station.
Wheeler reportedly died of his injuries, despite attempts to save him by the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department, KPHO reported. No one else was injured.
The station reported that only minutes earlier, at 8:40 a.m. local time, Wheeler tweeted, “there is going to be a suicide in the school right now.”
there is going to be a suicide in the school right now
— TIGERHOODS⚡️ (@marcuswheeler69) May 12, 2015
Wheeler, whose senior class is set to graduate this month, was a star athlete and won the Arizona Division I cross country title last year.
So glad it wasn’t a murder-suicide (which is the first thing I think of when I hear of guns in school). But still, how very sad and senseless.
I wish this wouldn’t happen. I remember in my sophomore year in High School a young man brought a gun to school and killed himself on the side steps of the school. This has been going on for way too long.
His Twitter account has some very troubling content, including a picture of someone looking at a noose contemplatively and a lot of content suggesting depression. Whatever his issues were, I wish someone would have been there for this kid.
Thoughts and prayers for Marcus, his family and friends.
I believe that folks that attempt or succeed at suicide are fighting some serious internal battles. I also believe that those that us that are free of those internal battles don’t realize how little we are in control of that freedom.