A 14-year-old girl was shot and killed by her father, who then took his own life, in Baldwinsville on Friday morning. The girl’s mother contacted the police for a welfare check after the Baldwinsville School District informed her that her daughter did not show up to school.
Police found the girl in her bedroom and her father dead in another room from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The father had a history of domestic abuse involving the girl’s mother and had been involved in a stalking and an alleged aggravated harassment incident in the past two days.
The school district has activated its crisis response team and is providing support and counseling to students and staff. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff,
It is with great sadness and a very heavy heart that I inform you of the tragic loss of Durgee Jr. High School 9th grade student Ava Wood.
The district’s Crisis Response Team is providing support and counseling to students and staff as we share this news. They will continue to provide support and counseling throughout the foreseeable future. It’s important to allow children to talk about their grief experiences and what they need during this tragic time. Counselors urge you to listen to your child’s concerns and questions. After communicating this difficult news to your child, if you feel that they need additional support, our counselors will be available to provide you with resources and strategies. Please call or email your school’s principal.
We are a close-knit school community and our hearts are broken by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with Ava’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time.
– LETTER FROM BALDWINSVILLE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT JOSEPH DEBARBERI
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