GARWIN – Students, staff and the district are coming together following the discovery of a student’s body at the GMG High School Monday morning.

The student, whose name has not been released publicly, was a sophomore at the school, in Garwin.

The Tama County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident as an apparent suicide, said school district Superintendent Ben Petty.

Petty told the T-R it appears the student entered the Old Gym in the school building, possibly sometime day or evening on Sunday.

The student’s body was subsequently discovered Monday morning around 7 a.m. by another GMG student, who was going to the gym to shoot baskets, Petty said.

He noted the deceased student had expressed suicidal thoughts in the past, but no specific causes have been identified.

In his four years serving as superintendent, Petty said he has not encountered a student suicide in the district.

Classes at GMG are continuing as scheduled, and additional counselors and members of the clergy are at the school to meet with students.

Petty said he hopes students and staff are able to work together and lean on each other to get through “something we can’t really explain like this.”

This is the second time a tragedy has impacted the district within the past month, he added.

In late December, seventh grade GMG student Liesel Casto died in a hunting accident.

It’s a challenging period for individuals the GMG community, Petty said.

“We’ve dealt with too much tragedy here this winter,” he said.

Suicide is a serious public health problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is the third leading cause of death for American young people, ages 10-24. About 4,600 individuals die each year.

Several factors can place individuals at risk.

Those include having a history of previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, history of depression or other mental illness, history of alcohol or drug abuse, a stressful life event or loss, incarceration, easy access to lethal methods and exposure to other suicidal behavior.

“Everybody is going to ask, ‘Why this happened. What could have prevented it?'” said Dr. Paul Daniel, Clinical Director at Center Associates, a Marshalltown mental health center.

Daniel said the reasons for suicide are complex, especially in teenagers.

“It’s hard to determine what the primary cause is of it. Or is it accumulation of several different things that were happening over the years?” he said.

There are some indicators teenagers may be struggling with thoughts of suicide.

“What is common are [feelings of] worthlessness, feelings of guilt – ‘I can never pull out of this hole. No one cares about me.'” Daniel described.

Other sources of stress, such as a recent death in the family or the loss of a romantic relationship can also increase an individual’s risk.

A person who has created a plan is in danger, noted Daniel.

“Once they’ve got that plan it’s another step toward trying it,” he said.

While a teenager will not always come out and say they are feeling suicidal, Daniel said in a lot of cases he or she has given some kind of warning in the form of a casual remark, such as “I wish I was dead.”

Any comment that indicates thoughts of suicide needs to be taken seriously, he said.

The most important thing people can do is to help a suicidal person understand it’s OK to communicate his or her feelings without fear of judgment, Daniel said.

Help should also be sought immediately, he added.

“If somebody’s talking … and they’re mentioning ‘Life is worthless,’ … it’s time to push them toward receiving some kind of services – talking to a trusted adult or professional,” Daniel said.

Several options exist.

In addition to seeking help from community mental health providers or school counselors, individuals who are considering hurting themselves or who are concerned that someone else is suicidal can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 at any time.

People may also go to the nearest hospital emergency room to be seen by a mental health professional.

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Contact Bennet Goldstein at 641-753-6611 or bgoldstein@timesrepublican.com