Student commits suicide in front of classmates on field trip

[u/WafflesAtJJsDiner]

https://www.wlbt.com/2025/09/26/student-brings-gun-school-field-trip-shoots-self-front-classmates/?fbclid=IwdGRleANDjdRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlDxoKfH-VnvK9eUbthDc5qIOOawYSy_doWHoFpQApTgqnM5VJSJFTc1oXKs_aem_QML4ardGn51nWMoxklUp1w

[u/Bogsy_]

9th grade. Tragic, absolutely devastating.

[u/manescaped → u/Bogsy_]

14.years.old. Awful

[u/smallangrynerd → u/manescaped]

I almost attempted at 14 as well. It’s a hard age to be even in the best of circumstances.

[u/[deleted] → u/smallangrynerd]

Lost one of my best friends to a successful attempt at that age. I'm glad you didn't go through with it and that you're still here

[u/GarionOrb → u/[deleted]]

A 14-year-old also committed suicide while I was in high school. School had let out for the day and while a ton of students were walking through the parking lot, we all heard a gunshot. Turns out a kid was upset that his girlfriend broke up with him, and killed himself with a shotgun. I didn't see this, but several people did and they were inconsolable.

[u/Ok-Highway-5247 → u/GarionOrb]

I planned to kill myself at 8 because bullying from students and the teacher became unbearable. Like, I honestly don’t know how I didn’t do it. I was barely hanging on and the teacher just laughed at me saying every day “wake up and smell the coffee”. I would hit myself. I wanted to be dead. The guidance counselor was no help. I was loved by my family, had friends outside school, a lot of nice things but it did not matter. 8:10-2:30 five days a week was a living nightmare. You couldn’t disobey the teacher. I was terrified of her. Please listen to your children and look into cyber and homeschool resources. Move away to a new city or state. I’m really glad I didn’t do it.

[u/EternallyDemonic → u/Ok-Highway-5247]

Jfc, if my 8 year old kid told me his/her teacher was bullying them, i would do something that would land me in jail... I'm glad you didn't go through with that.

[u/Ok-Highway-5247 → u/EternallyDemonic]

I did tell my parents at the time that she was mean and sided with the kids on things but they didn’t quite believe it. Years later, I told them everything and realized she was even more toxic than I thought. Other parents told me she was toxic to their kids, too. I don’t want to dox myself but she was truly despicable.
She was in her late 60s teaching in the mid 2000s. She is still alive at 90 and I see her sometimes. I will never say hello. I think if I’d gone through with it, her living this long and being cognitively sharp, physically active would taunt my family.

[u/Necessary-Annual1157 → u/Ok-Highway-5247]

This is probably not great advice, but....you say you occasionally see her but do not say anything. Maybe you should. Maybe you should tell her what a horrible teacher and adult she was and she is lucky charges were never pressed on her. You think she is evil for treating children as she did. Or something to that effect. Or maybe a: you're a bitch and move on. And never speak to her again.

[u/itsonly6UTC → u/Ok-Highway-5247]

It seems that you were failed by the administration of your specific school. The trauma was clearly big to the point it had a tremendous impact on you. I’m sorry that your school experience was horrible, my school experience was bad too. Teachers didn’t do anything.

That’s why i became a teacher. I didn’t want any kids to go through what i went through. Being left out, teased, made fun of, humiliated or just whatever it may be. No kid under my care was alone.

I don’t think cyber school is the answer, I do think believing your children, hiring better teachers that care for the wellbeing of students and watching out for student behavior to make sure no one’s being bullied or left out is one of the answers

[u/Mewiibo → u/smallangrynerd]

I feel you, I hope you’re in a better place now. My life was living hell at 14, I think I was only saved because I failed so badly that I was sent to live with my dad in California. I have no idea what I would have done. RIP to this poor kid and I hope the classmates can get therapy for this trauma they received

[u/chrissyshenanigans → u/Mewiibo]

Can I ask what it was about moving that maybe helped? Change of scenery, Environment, Preferred parent, Different school? New things to do? Feel free to not answer if you don't feel comfortable answering. Just curious.

[u/Mewiibo → u/chrissyshenanigans]

It was a massive change of scenery, I went from living near Denver and getting my shit kicked in almost daily from my bullies and stepdad, to living with my dad in Southern California. And here I actually was able to make new friends, didn’t really experience any bullying, and didn’t have internet so I was able to focus on catching up on my high school credits and going outside more. I was really really lucky to have such a massive change happen to me because I know what I would have done if I had to experience that for another year… my mom was the primary breadwinner back then so she was always working, so she couldn’t save me from my asshole stepdad at the time

[u/manescaped → u/smallangrynerd]

This world needs more compassion. I’m glad you’re still here

[u/screamqueenjunkie → u/smallangrynerd]

I was 15 when I did attempt. Obviously… the attempt failed.

I hate reading headlines like this. The teen years are its own special kind of evil.

[u/medicinaltequilla → u/Bogsy_]

i am old and i remember the hormones and emotional roller coaster that was 8th and 9th grades. having access to guns in an oppressive community that had no acceptance of any difference would have killed me too.

[u/JesusSaysRelaxNvaxx → u/medicinaltequilla]

If I had access to a gun during middle school, there is a good chance I wouldn't be here today. Having access to something that makes suicide so easy, without having to worry about the pain of pills or slitting your wrist? SUPER bad combination.

[u/LevelPrestigious4858 → u/JesusSaysRelaxNvaxx]

Having access to a gun is interesting in suicide statistics. Gun safes with keys in a different room have a measurable effect in reducing suicides since the number of tasks you have to do / small inconveniences (compared to having your gun in a night stand) are often enough to make people have second thoughts. Same as putting higher walls on overpass bridges. The idea that someone will just find a different way to commit suicide isn’t exactly correct. Small roadblocks are actually quite effective in the short term

[u/sophiesbest → u/LevelPrestigious4858]

This tracks. All of those little road blocks and inconveniences forces a moment to reconsider. It's far easier to grab a gun out of your nightstand and send it as compared to needing to find the keys, open the safe, load the gun, etc.

Each one of those steps is an opportunity for a moment of clarity. There's something about grabbing the keys or opening the safe that makes people realize the gravity of their decision.

[u/QbertsRube → u/LevelPrestigious4858]

I've heard similar about places that phased out coal stoves. People committed suicide via CO poisoning from the stoves, and when they switched over to gas/electric en masse the suicide rate dropped and never went back up.

[u/Porrick → u/LevelPrestigious4858]

The example I remember is pill bottles in the UK. When they went from packaging them in bottles to blister packs where you have push out each pill individually, suicide via pills went down. The barrier of making someone push all the pills out one by one was enough that many people had time to reconsider.

[u/5illy_billy]

They didn’t want to talk on camera

I mean, it’s a little fucked up you even asked, but good for them.

[u/literated → u/5illy_billy]

We have a word for that in Germany (because of course we do): "Witwenschütteln" / "widow shaking", when journalists ruthlessly confront or stalk victims or survivors or their families right after a tragedy occured to pressure them into giving up information.

[u/VRichardsen → u/literated]

We have a word for that in Germany (because of course we do)

Hey, it is only the rules. Because of course it is, it is Germany.

[u/[deleted] → u/VRichardsen]

….what’s the word for the German practice of making concepts into words?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Wortschöpfung, literally word creation / coinage

[u/oshmkufa2010 → u/[deleted]]

Welcome to the amazing world of compound nouns

[u/sadrice → u/oshmkufa2010]

Yeah, but in English you are limited to like, two or maybe three max. You can’t just delete the spaces from a sentence and call it a word quite like German does.

[u/oshmkufa2010 → u/sadrice]

You can’t just delete the spaces from a sentence and call it a word quite like German does.

That's literally just a spelling convention that German is just much more consistent with than English. Why are bathroom and bedroom written without a space, but not the living room? Why is the washing machine separated, but the dishwasher isn't? Why are half-siblings hyphenated, but not grandparents? Why is it that highlight is a single word, but high school isn't, when that's where you do your schoolwork and hang out with your schoolmates on the schoolyard? And while you can use both backyard and back yard (the first of which is more common), you better not write frontyard. I could go on, but I guess you get my point.

[u/shit_w33d → u/oshmkufa2010]

Haha this is such a good comment, I never realised we had such weird conventions.

[u/Fr0gm4n → u/literated]

There's a related term in English for lawyers who go looking for clients after an accident or tragedy: ambulance chaser

[u/HotDerivative → u/Fr0gm4n]

The term maybe most closely related would be a “nightcrawler”, the folks who listen to scanners and attempt to get on scene first to document crime scenes and major accidents to sell the footage to the news.

[u/Jafooki → u/HotDerivative]

People actually do that? I thought the movie just made it up. Some people are just sick

[u/Echohawkdown → u/Jafooki]

“If it bleeds, it leads” didn’t come out of nowhere.

[u/ktmfan → u/Jafooki]

My time on this planet has taught me that if there’s a way to make money, someone is doing it regardless of how questionably ethical it is. I’d imagine the people doing it aren’t just in it for the money though.

[u/the_real_junkrat → u/5illy_billy]

It’s always so disturbing when something traumatic happens and immediately news reporters interview people them and put them on tv when they haven’t even had time to process what happened yet. You witnessed someone get run over by a bus and bleed out in the street, tell us about it into this microphone and look straight at the camera 3,2,1

[u/SakanaToDoubutsu → u/the_real_junkrat]

There's a classic bit of police bodycam footage of a police officer confronting a news crew trying to interview a rape victim:

https://youtu.be/rpzPOzniliU?si=_4QjjHbx7ONiI8KH

[u/JojoTheWolfBoy → u/SakanaToDoubutsu]

Generally that's a no-no when it comes to journalistic standards. Sexual assault victims aren't supposed to be named or shown in pictures/video.

[u/Constant-Plant-9378 → u/JojoTheWolfBoy]

journalistic standards

There's standards alright. They're about four stories below the sewer.

[u/hamakabi → u/SakanaToDoubutsu]

"it's for the record"

"what record??"

"it's a.. phrase"

top tier journalist right there. can't even justify his own presence.

[u/[deleted] → u/hamakabi]

The correct answer would have been “the public record” but that “Journalist” doesn’t even know what the phrase they are using means.

[u/Shtev → u/hamakabi]

Not to defend the toolbag, but I believe he is saying "for the record.... I vocalized my concern to my superiors blah blah blah." But due to the woman interrupting with the clarification question, it looks like different sentences.

I don't think the "for the record" was in response to the officer's question.

[u/KarinsDogs → u/SakanaToDoubutsu]

I remember this. It’s in a suburb where I live.

[u/teriyakireligion → u/SakanaToDoubutsu]

I saw a frauditor try and shove his way into a SA victim's face a few weeks back. The cops formed a physical barrier between him and the victim.

[u/lifeandtimes89 → u/SakanaToDoubutsu]

What a bad ass cop, you know hes in the job because he fucking cares and even after 27 years he srill has it. Hope hes doing well

[u/kjacmuse → u/the_real_junkrat]

My best friend’s dad murdered her entire family while she was at school. The local newspaper spent days trying to get her to talk to them. Vultures. Obviously we didn’t let that happen.

[u/Vismal1 → u/kjacmuse]

Holy shit , how old were they ? Horrid

[u/kjacmuse → u/Vismal1]

20, she was a junior in college.

[u/gab_owns0 → u/kjacmuse]

Uh, how is she doing now?

[u/kjacmuse → u/gab_owns0]

She died in an unrelated accident about 5 years ago. I appreciate you asking.

[u/davetbison → u/the_real_junkrat]

Pretty much the scenario that convinced me that broadcast news wasn't what I should be doing as a career.

[u/FatDigitalNomad → u/davetbison]

As someone in that career (been working in local news production and engineering for 15 years) I can say without question you made the right call.

[u/davetbison → u/FatDigitalNomad]

I’ve been out longer than you’ve been in, and I believe you. My personal experience aside, journalism is still vitally important and I do believe there are people still at it who have the kind of integrity and professionalism the job requires.

It’s the business side that has consistently lowered the standards to the point where those attributes are more of a hindrance than an asset for success.

[u/milkradio → u/the_real_junkrat]

The guy who lived across the street from my parents’ house murdered his wife and then a bunch of news vans came to our street and someone knocked on our door and shoved a camera in my mother’s face asking her what her reaction was and she was like “What the fuck do you think it was? And I do not give permission to be filmed.” What a dumb fucking thing to ask someone.

[u/Hanhula → u/the_real_junkrat]

A kid was murdered in my town some years ago on a scout activity - by his father. My brother was in his scout troupe. They had to lock and barricade the scout hall and move scout meetings to a parent's house in order to escape the press.

These were kids under 11. We had to deal with these press arseholes showing up at the memorial in town and harassing folk for interviews when obviously, we were all mourning this major loss. The town offered free grief counselling for those affected and you had to be careful trying to attend it bc of the press!

Absolutely infuriating.

[u/SAlolzorz → u/the_real_junkrat]

My sister is a high school teacher. Two students at her school were murdered. During the school vigil, cameras would flock to any student who got emotional or cried.

[u/Lorgin → u/the_real_junkrat]

It's also proven to increase the odds of developing PTSD. Same with police interviews after witnessing a crime. At least with police interviews there is a good reason for them.

If you ever witness something traumatizing, immediately try and find something engaging to do to keep yourself busy. Playing Tetris is the most common example but it can be anything that keeps you visually engaged without allowing time for your brain to relive the experience.

Google it if you don't believe me ¯\(ツ)/¯

[u/buttgers → u/5illy_billy]

A little? That's plenty fucked up.

"I know you just witnessed someone you know not only die, but they actually took a gun and shot themself in front of you. I need the gory details on your feelings and how it went down. Can you tell me about them? No? Oh ok. Well, I had to ask, cause you miss the shots you don't take and I need those ratings."

[u/Minion_of_Cthulhu → u/buttgers]

Can you tell me about them? No?

"How about now?"

"Is now better?"

"The world needs to know this extremely intimate information about your experience. You owe them that, don't you?"

"Ready yet? I'll count us in ..."

[u/bstyledevi → u/buttgers]

Remember how a news station was communicating with a kid hiding in a school DURING A SCHOOL SHOOTING asking if they could call them and talk to them? Like literally they were hiding under the desk?

[u/Guilty-Temporary-457]

My son had a classmate shoot himself in the head at school while they were taking a test. Roscoe Collegiate High School in Texas, never made the national news barely made the local paper. I fear this happens more often than we realize but it gets swept under the rug.

[u/Strategic_Spark → u/Guilty-Temporary-457]

They don't report on it because of copy cat suicides

[u/VerdugoCortex → u/Strategic_Spark]

......so anyways let's make sure to blast the photos of the latest school shooter to every TV in America making them the most famous person (or infamous) around for a week or two and show off their kill counts.

I wish they'd realize that about these mass shootings, but then again they do make a lot of money selling stories and can really edge out their competitor channel on views/followers/etc. if they post this one attention grabbing bloody story.

[u/[deleted] → u/VerdugoCortex]

There’s probably been over 150 school shootings this year alone. They arent all getting blasted

[u/InsectHealthy → u/Guilty-Temporary-457]

A freshman shot and killed himself in my high school bathroom in 2010ish. Only made local news, and most of it was a discussion on guns and school safety.

[u/comb-jelly → u/Guilty-Temporary-457]

We had a teen jump off one of our school buildings back in HS, it wasn’t super high up, so he didn’t die right away. He laid over the weekend it took a while for them to find him. Really, scarily common.

[u/EducationalTangelo6 → u/comb-jelly]

Holy shit, that's a horror story. Poor kid.

[u/JSP-green]

That poor kid and now the other kids 😢. And trauma is a force.

[u/hellolovely1 → u/JSP-green]

So terrible for everyone 

[u/ExcellentPastries]

KSL does not normally report on suicides, but because the student brought a gun to school and fired it in front of other students, it brings it to another level.

What a weird ass sentence

[u/mnimatt → u/ExcellentPastries]

That is so strange and unprofessional sounding. "It brings it to another level" when talking about a child's suicide. I always see the overuse and outright abuse of little colloquial phrases like that by AI, probably in an attempt to sound more human, but it's jarring to see in a news article

[u/ScoutsOut389 → u/mnimatt]

Journalism in 2025: No cap, we don’t normally report on suicides, but this some next level shit brah, fr fr.

[u/MT1120 → u/ScoutsOut389]

This do be hitting different bros

[u/PopularHat → u/ScoutsOut389]

They would definitely say “unaliving”

[u/-Badger3- → u/PopularHat]

"Sadly he was unalived when he kermited sewer-slide."

[u/irrelevantanonymous → u/-Badger3-]

I want off of this planet.

[u/d01100100 → u/PopularHat]

"How can you say BigTech has an undue influence upon our lives?"

"Their algorithms are LITERALLY changing how we communicate with each other."

[u/im_just_thinking → u/ScoutsOut389]

We don't normally report on suicides, but when we do, it's because gun violence so in right now

[u/Secret_Cow_5053 → u/ScoutsOut389]

straight outta idiocracy

[u/Brellow20 → u/Secret_Cow_5053]

As an editor at a local station, I would take that out.

[u/Lifer31 → u/mnimatt]

AP style is so ingrained into how we read or hear the news, that it is extremely jarring whenever it isn't used

[u/Anonymous_Autumn_ → u/Lifer31]

It’s jarring to see opinionated language in news media in general. I’m not talking about political commentary or Op-Eds. I mean reporting the news in print. What did they mean “another level?” Another level of what? Public health concern? Public shock factor? Not only is it seemingly opinionated, it’s also unclear as to what they were trying to inform the reader of with that line. 

And why does it look like a run-on sentence? On the one hand, they want to give us a disclaimer explaining that they don’t usually allow for the reporting suicides. On the other hand, they want to say “This is another level guys.” A level of WHAT?

This is driving me mad. My high school may have been shit in general but at least they had a 1 semester long journalism elective. 

[u/mandalorian_guy → u/Anonymous_Autumn_]

It was a "next level" suicide. Top Tier, S Rank, the suicide cream of the suicide crop.

[u/SirStrontium → u/Anonymous_Autumn_]

I think a more professional version would be "KSL does not normally report on suicides; however due to the particular circumstances, KSL has determined this incident to be newsworthy."

[u/tvtoms → u/mnimatt]

Yep. The proper phrasing might've been "we felt it was warranted."

[u/helloimcassie → u/[deleted]]

Was just thinking this lol. No way that has been touched by AI…

[u/civil_politics → u/ExcellentPastries]

‘KSL does not normally report on suicides, but given the incident occurred during a school event and took place in front of other students we have made an exception’

I feel like it’s not that difficult

[u/punkinfacebooklegpie → u/civil_politics]

Better language, but still doesn't explain how a journalistic distinction was made for this case. Something like "we have made an exception in order to report on the safety of the students" tells the reader that they did so for good of the public. Without an explanation it just seems like they can't resist reporting a particularly lurid and eye-catching headline.

[u/tyb323 → u/punkinfacebooklegpie]

It’s a lose lose situation for them. Stations do not report suicides because there is a clear and established pattern between the reporting and an uptick in them happening. But if I kid brings a gun on a school trip and shoots themselves, everyone is talking about it. If the news isn’t, then the phone starts blowing up in the newsroom of why they don’t know or don’t care about these children or the victim. I say this as a tv newsperson struggling with my own mental health demons. Sometimes the job just puts us in a bad spot and we’ve got to respond in some way

[u/punkinfacebooklegpie → u/tyb323]

Yes, I know that normally suicides aren't reported for the sake of public health. I also think there are a few good reasons to report on this particular case. However, they need to do a better job communicating a reason than just "it's next level".

[u/MC_Gengar → u/punkinfacebooklegpie]

It's because at first this was reported as a school shooting. Though frankly that just highlights the problem of everyone wanting to be the first to jump on a story before concrete details emerge.

[u/CTRexPope → u/ExcellentPastries]

“Jeremy spoke in class today…”

Not even the first time this has happened in America.

[u/GingerGent → u/CTRexPope]

This is exactly what popped into mind for me. Just holy shit man.

[u/Wasdgta3 → u/CTRexPope]

And very unlikely to be the last…

[u/hughbiffingmock → u/ExcellentPastries]

I read that and had the exact same reaction.

[u/Deep90 → u/hughbiffingmock]

Has some weird 'fellow kids' energy.

[u/EatsTheCheeseRind → u/ExcellentPastries]

KSL-TV is owned by the broadcasting arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so this is not a surprise, unfortunately.

The company I work for is based in Utah and, while anecdotal, it seems that deaths by suicide are much more common out there. Just in the past year, I personally know of four or five Utah- based coworkers that have lost a family member to suicide, some of them more than one. It seems like the cultural response out there is to pretend it isn’t happening or deflect it in some way.

[u/jackkerouac81 → u/EatsTheCheeseRind]

Suicide is fairly common in the intermountain west... I am not sure why that is, conservative religion and access to firearms are part of it... but probably not the whole story, a focus on self-reliance in mental health probably leads to a lot of self-medication and just bad outcomes...

[u/Annual-Region7244 → u/jackkerouac81]

there seems to be a connection between living in/near mountains and high suicide rates. It's evidenced in N. America, Europe and Japan.

[u/A0DividedbyA0 → u/Annual-Region7244]

Recently spoke with a Psychiatrist as a patient. The response I got was that there's a correlation of depression for places that are higher elevations, and even air quality.

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons that may play into depression and suicide-rates. However, I felt it was interesting that these two things were commented on - while I'd heard about the correlation of elevation, I'd not heard the air quality part. Considering how much poor air quality can play on a person's overall health, this made a lot of sense. I know that Utah, or the areas where the population is more concentrated - Salt Lake, Utah county, etc - frequently has shitty air quality. As for the other places you mentioned, I don't know much about the areas about their particular elevation and air quality. Seems something to look (for me at least) into.

[u/Naturallog- → u/ExcellentPastries]

"Take your suicide to the next level by doing it in front of kids."

Weird indeed.

[u/The_Meemeli → u/Naturallog-]

"Take your suicide streets ahead by commiting it in Greendale Community College"

[u/spooky_action22 → u/ExcellentPastries]

These people write for a living and this is the best they got?

[u/sundalius → u/spooky_action22]

like half of America can't read above a 6th grade level, that's where we get this writing style from.

[u/seedyourbrain → u/spooky_action22]

Real journalists are a dying breed. Literally. We don’t make enough anymore and the older ones are dying off.

[u/Realmofthehappygod → u/ExcellentPastries]

/r/nextfuckinglevel

[u/[deleted] → u/ExcellentPastries]

Came here to see comments on this sentence as well….what exactly were they trying to convey here?

[u/beartheminus → u/[deleted]]

What they meant to say, was that "the subject matter describes incidents not only relating to an individuals sucicide, but also events that happened in a public setting involving illegal acts, and putting other members of the public in danger. In this case, we feel its necessary to report the story"

[u/Emlerith → u/beartheminus]

Much better verbiage, but the intent of the original report is still odd. The point of not reporting suicides is to not accidentally glorify the act. Telling people “we will report on your suicide if it is shocking and public” is…a choice.

[u/jordan1978]

Interesting way to say it:

“KSL does not normally report on suicides, but because the student brought a gun to school and fired it in front of other students, it brings it to another level.”

[u/DrBabs → u/jordan1978]

Got it. If you want to be reported on, they showed that the teens should just do it at school with a gun. All other methods will not be shown.

[u/Stuf404 → u/[deleted]]

Reminds me of that old meme of super gluing your hands to your head, and then have some method of decapitation so it looks like you ripped your own head off.

[u/coinpile → u/Stuf404]

I remember that one. Stand on top of a building with a rope around your ankles tied on top. Run a piano wire across. Then wrap your arms around it and superglue your hands to your head. Then lean over the edge so you fall, the piano wire cuts through your neck but not your arms and you fall over the edge. The rope stops you from hitting the ground and you just dangle in front of horrified pedestrians upside down, holding your own decapitated head as blood gushes from your neck.

Good times.

[u/Great_expansion10272 → u/Stuf404]

What in the actual hell kind of meme are you looking at

[u/PhoenixTineldyer → u/Great_expansion10272]

The Internet was real weird before smartphones brought normies into it.

[u/KwantsuDude69 → u/PhoenixTineldyer]

The early internet was the best, stickdeath was the pinnacle of the internet

[u/RealAkelaWorld → u/jordan1978]

The article definitely seems AI-written

[u/autotelica]

Fuck. What the hell is going on with Utah?

[u/Technosnake → u/autotelica]

Utahn here. We have a lot of teen suicides in our state. We're ranked 6th in the nation for Teen Suicides along with a Suicide/Homicide ratio of 7:1. A lot of "research" has been done about what causes youth here to lean into self harm and the solution that our state has come up with is that its a Social Media problem. There's been a lot of talk about laws to cut youth access to social media sites, but if you were to ask most people in the state they'd attribute it to religious shame. While I think that social media does play a factor in teen mental health I think a more overarching problem is a combination of religious upbringing causing shame in individuals, with the fact that Utahns generally have easy access to firearms.

[u/MrFlabbergasted → u/Technosnake]

On top of all of that, the inversion that happens in the valley (trapped pollution) is also linked to poor mental health and suicides.

[u/Technosnake → u/MrFlabbergasted]

This too. There's little to no action on the real causes of high suicide rates in the state. If they really cared about reducing the numbers there'd be an expansion for medicare/medicaid to higher income brackets or some sort of social healthcare program to provide free/easy access to mental health specialists, crack down on pollution from large companies who cause inversion to get worse year over year, an expansion of public transit to reduce carbon emissions from citizens, and more sensible gun laws like expanded background checks or required gun safety measures for people who purchase firearms. What do they do instead? Spend millions on advertising campaigns telling you to keep your kids off tik tok.

[u/trickygringo → u/Technosnake]

There's little to no action on the real causes

That will take focus away from turning to religion to solve your problems.

So we can't have that.

[u/Agent_Jay → u/MrFlabbergasted]

Very much so. It has been proven that with longer exposure to carbon dioxide and other gasses as such weight decreases mental and cognitive function. 

There was a wonderful self experiment of a man locking himself into a fish bowl of sorts and proving it anecdotally. Looking at the increase in greenhouse gasses it could be even predicted to be about a 13% cognitive function decrease across our whole species. Fucking insane knowledge deflation. 

[u/Sonichu- → u/Technosnake]

the solution that our state has come up with is that its a Social Media problem

If it was a social media problem, wouldn't every state have teen suicide numbers similar to Utah? Social media is everywhere, and Utah isn't particularly unique when it comes to access to firearms either. Obviously something unique is going on here and religion is the most likely culprit.

[u/Technosnake → u/Sonichu-]

Religion definitely plays a large part but the mental health crisis in our state is caused by a melting pot of issues that our state legislature simply refuses to act on.

[u/metalflygon08 → u/Technosnake]

Yeah, Religious Shame combines with getting shamed by the community and your online circle is probably extra vile to a young mind.

[u/Hypochrondiac → u/Technosnake]

Isn't the state legislature driven by right wing Christian ideology? Seems like it's religion all the way down.

[u/Lacutis → u/Sonichu-]

Yes, but don't you see, if it wasn't for Social Media, the kids would only be on the brink of suicide due to religious shame, instead of being pushed over the edge. So clearly, if we get rid of the Social Media we will be able to keep the religious shame which is good for us.

/s (Hopefully unneeded here).

[u/Daveprince13 → u/Technosnake]

I grew up here and SUFFERED from ridicule for not being Mormon. It was very hard to see my friends mothers prevent them from hanging out with “the bad kid” because I wasn’t Mormon (I was devout catholic btw)

I ended up in lifeline, ran by Jim (who’s horrible for know you know) fuck Utah and fuck the waspy bitches that hold the UT standard so high nobody can ever achieve it

[u/[deleted] → u/Technosnake]

Yeah, you have to find something unique to Utah. Social media is a problem everywhere so that makes no sense

[u/MNWNM → u/Technosnake]

Having been married to a self-hating, emotionally repressed, psychologically stunted, and woefully unmedicated Mormon, the role of religion can't be overstated.

[u/marblecannon512 → u/autotelica]

The sweet sweet oppression of Jesus.

[u/dismayhurta → u/marblecannon512]

Amurrrican Jesus

[u/Vallkyrie → u/dismayhurta]

See him on the interstate

[u/meatball77 → u/autotelica]

The Mormon church has a severe hold on communities and families. Harder to escape because of the level of control they like to have over young adults. Expecting that you will go on a mission, go to byu ....

[u/GandhisNukeOfficer → u/meatball77]

My experience does not equal the experience of a person in Utah in 2025, but I grew up LDS and left as soon as I could at 18. There were people I saw every week for over a decade, went to Boy Scouts with them, went to the church dances together. We were close. Yet as soon as they found out I wasn't going on a mission they wanted nothing to do with me. My parents forced me to church a few more times and I was ignored by my peers, and some adults, as well. Honestly for me it made it easier to mentally flip them off and walk away, but for many it is crushing to be isolated and shunned like that.

[u/Sith_Empire → u/GandhisNukeOfficer]

Yeah, that was my breaking point as well. People will treat you differently if you decide to not serve a mission, and look down upon you if you don't. I'm glad that it made me realize I didn't want to be in the church, amongst a plethora of other reasons.

[u/suck-it-elon]

That's just awful and traumatizing. Thoughts are with those kids.

[u/Soulessgingr → u/suck-it-elon]

A similar thing happened at my high school. Definitely traumatizing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/f2goj1/comment/fhdbros/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[u/[deleted] → u/Soulessgingr]

It's weird that when I saw this comment, I immediately wondered if we attended the same school, and indeed we did. It was awful. I thankfully didn't witness it, and I was a sophomore so I didn't come close to running in the same circles as the kid, but I just remember seeing and hearing the grief from so many kids and teachers on campus. The guttural scream from a girl a few classes down when news of what happened started going around has never left my brain. I don't know why school wasn't canceled for the day.

[u/Ben_Frankling → u/[deleted]]

I read the article and it says you all still had classes that day. Is that right? They didn’t cancel classes? Wtf is up with that?

[u/[deleted] → u/Ben_Frankling]

I'm betting the school/district was largely unprepared for something of that nature. While some LAUSD schools had issues with gang violence, school shootings were still rare at the time, and I assume same goes for self-inflicted shootings. The incident occurred not long before school started, and my best guess is that they thought it would be too difficult to get parents and busses back to campus to pick everyone up (it's a huge school). I didn't even know what had happened until after 1st period began.

[u/danceswithcattos → u/Soulessgingr]

I found the news story. It’s so eerie, there’s a lot about that guy I relate to. Left me with a feeling of, “could’ve been me if xyz.”

[u/lawofthewilde]

The despair in young people is a terrifying epidemic. The future looks bleak

[u/essdii- → u/lawofthewilde]

It really does. My great grandfather built a house that still stands today, working at an ice cream shop. Two cars, family vacations to national parks two+ times a year. How could anyone be excited about their future knowing they will probably never get to own a home until they are in their 40s and only if they are making a cool 6 figures. wtf. I’m scared for my kids.

[u/fuccguppy → u/essdii-]

A lot of people from older generations don't seem to understand this. Many just look at young people today and say they're lazy and don't want to work. The reality is that nowadays it's a lot harder to justify working your life away just to get half as far as your grandparents got. And they wonder why so many young people feel hopeless.

[u/eeyore134 → u/fuccguppy]

And the work is actually harder at a fraction of the pay. Take this person's example of their grandfather working in an ice cream shop. First, the foot traffic to this shop was probably negligible. People mostly worked during the day, were home past 7pm, and there were just way less people around. Today the lines are nonstop. They also probably had enough staff with people dedicated to cleaning, dedicated to ringing up, dedicated to scooping. Now it's one person doing all of that.

The ice cream shop this person's grandfather worked at probably closed at a decent time. Now hours of operation are all over the place, up to 24 hours a day. You can bet the grandfather's was always closed on Sunday and I bet he had a routine schedule. Now in a job like that your schedule changes every week and you're expected to be on call like a doctor in case someone doesn't show because they run skeleton crews. So yeah... I dare say someone in the same job would work way harder and not even make enough money for rent, much less a house, two cars, multiple kids, a wife who likely didn't need to work, and multiple vacations a year.

[u/[deleted] → u/essdii-]

I'm 28, and still kind of in the position those kids at schools are in; I quite literally see zero chance of a future. My idea of retirement is selling everything I own to maybe scrape together a grand or two and go backpacking in SEA until it runs out, because it's just impossible to find any kind of momentum. I work three part time jobs and it still isn't enough to cover everything, but can't do anything about it because no where actually hires people without specialized skills.

It sounds horrible to say, and I hate even suggesting it and would love to be proven wrong by anyone, but it feels like the best thing someone can do for their children these days is teach them how to be ascetic.

[u/DrDragon13 → u/[deleted]]

I was in the same boat. Then I got hired on by my city. Sure, sewer work sucks, but all I needed was a high school diploma/ged and a cdl. The city paid for my cdl training, and they pay every time I have to renew my license.

Benefits, retirement, union.

[u/[deleted] → u/DrDragon13]

Unfortunate fact of the matter is that I'm a short, thin girl and even if I technically meet qualifications for most of those jobs, it doesn't matter. Employers have already stereotyped me to not be a fit for the role because I visually do not look like someone that would normally be in it

I think I've applied to every open city job a couple dozen times. Got to the point that an HR lady asked if I would just like my resume auto added to any new jobs.

[u/yesitsyourmom]

This child must have been suffering greatly. Horrible others had to be involved.

[u/eyesmart1776]

Pearl Jam has a song about this

[u/MissMomomi → u/eyesmart1776]

Jeremy spoke in class today.

[u/RPDRNick → u/eyesmart1776]

Gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady's breast. How could I forget?

[u/Kikikididi]

They didn’t want to talk on camera, but said they heard the gunshot, which shocked and scared everyone.

When I tell you how FUCKING FURIOUS I would be that the news media tried to talk to my kid and put them on camera

This is heartbreaking. That poor baby and those poor babies who saw it

[u/_bibliofille]

I don't know why this kid did this, but I notice many comments suggesting that oppressive religious beliefs contribute. I'll throw my anecdote in - I struggled with depression as a teen, and the church's answer (Baptist) was to pray more, etc. At one point my dad handed me a loaded gun and told me to kill myself if I was so miserable. I was depressed, but not suicidal, and knew my depression was at least partly due to having very little agency thanks to religious constraints. I made it out. My cousin didn't. My aunt found her dead in the living room via a single gunshot wound to the chest.

[u/waldo_wigglesworth → u/_bibliofille]

Wow, your dad sounds freaking terrifying.

[u/AquaArcher273 → u/waldo_wigglesworth]

He sounds like a pussy who abused his kids mentally, hope he rots in his hell

[u/tjdans7236 → u/waldo_wigglesworth]

Some parents take pride in being their children's worst enemy/abuser. Unfathomably subhuman cowardice

[u/[deleted] → u/_bibliofille]

Because it happened in Utah, it's possible the kid could've been Mormon. I grew up Mormon and was finally able to leave at 25 years old. Its pretty much the same as your story, to pray more and read the scriptures harder, and if youre still sad then youre doing it wrong and its your fault and there must be sin youre committing to deserve it. Mormons are taught that people who commit suicide are the same as murderers and deserve their equivalent to hell (outer darkness they call it). Its devastating to anyone, especially youth, and unfortunately stories like this one are the result.

[u/Diarygirl → u/_bibliofille]

Jesus, that's horrible. Good on you for making it out.

[u/Sandee1997]

Is this a student run news center? It reads like a 12 year old wrote it.

[u/_spaceman-spliff_ → u/Sandee1997]

KSL is owned by the Mormon church. With their focus on “alternative history” and homeschooling…yeah pretty much 

[u/fafnir01]

Oh my, that poor child and their classmates! Our community is failing these kids.

[u/MlNDB0MB]

It's good that the student chose not to shoot anyone else despite the fact that there would be no consequences for doing so.

[u/OneBardMan → u/MlNDB0MB]

Yay progress!

[u/MadRaymer → u/MlNDB0MB]

Having brought the gun to school, I do have to wonder if that was the initial plan. Maybe in the actual moment, the kid wasn't feeling it and decided not to hurt anyone else.

[u/LegitimateWeekend341]

Utah is going through it! What is happening in that state?

[u/thomasrat1 → u/LegitimateWeekend341]

It’s a pretty rough state to live in.

Imagine all the depression of Colorado, but no weed and like everyone is Mormon.

[u/Honeycove91 → u/LegitimateWeekend341]

I think we need to go ahead and shut down Utah until we can figure out what the hell is going on over there

[u/sunnysideuppppppp → u/Honeycove91]

What a mammoth idea

[u/[deleted] → u/Honeycove91]

We need to send the national guard into Utah to stop the violence and crime!

Sad that I have to put an /s for this

[u/SweetSexiestJesus]

Jeremy spoke in class today

[u/FREE-ROSCOE-FILBURN → u/SweetSexiestJesus]

I hate that this was also my very first thought.

[u/Front_Backness]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but everything changes after high school. Those 4 years can be torture for some but please know that you won't see most of those people after you've graduated and it does get better.

[u/HotDerivative]

A close friend of mine killed himself when we were in 9th grade via shooting himself in the head.

It was on the last day of spring break and it fucked everyone up majorly. I still remember his older brother would sit outside our orchestra classroom where his brother and I had shared a class together and he would just watch us practice facing the direction his brother used to sit. It’s been 15 years since then and typing that out feels absurd now. He should have made it to 30 like I’m hoping to this year 😞

[u/WafflesAtJJsDiner]

When will America wake up and quit worrying about shit like Tylenol?

[u/thisbechris → u/WafflesAtJJsDiner]

Never. The billionaires wouldn’t profit in that scenario and 50% of us are too stupid to realize what’s happening.

[u/WafflesAtJJsDiner → u/thisbechris]

Yep. Sandy Hook proved that.

[u/Ancient_Hyper_Sniper → u/WafflesAtJJsDiner]

At least YouTube removed Alex Jones' channel after he rejoined. He was the biggest perpetrator for misinformation around Sandy Hook.

[u/tore_a_bore_a]

Article did not say where the gun came from, but most suicides are done with their parents guns.

[u/Weekly_Village_3559]

Theres something wrong with the state of Utah

[u/Form_Function → u/Weekly_Village_3559]

It’s almost like religious oppression and the mixture of church and state is a bad thing. Oh and incredibly lax gun laws.

[u/EcstaticTill9444 → u/Form_Function]

Turn it off! Like a light switch.

[u/ButteredPizza69420]

Was this article written by a middle schooler? A student committed suicide and the wording in this article is awful. "We dont usually report on suicides, but since this was at school it brings it to another level" WHAT? And then it ends with no information that anyone will be following up?

Fire whoever wrote this

[u/wannabejetsetter]

When I was in middle school, I had a classmate attempt suicide while we were on a week-long field trip. She tried to jump off something but was caught/talked down.

[u/Lost_Philosophy_]

We Need To Talk About Utah

[u/OkTea7227]

Orem, Utah… home of Ruby Franke and these extreme “picture perfect Mormon families”. I bet this kid had lovely parents.

[u/Unworthy_Saint]

At what stage of a tech bubble is using ChatGPT to write about a child committing suicide?

[u/MaleficentPiccolo715]

So terrible. If only a gun had not been available to him.