Carey Junior High School in Cheyenne is remembering a teenage boy who took his life this week. An employee of the Union Pacific Railroad found the body of 13-year-old Alexander Frye early Tuesday morning.
Lew Simpson, a spokesman for the Cheyenne Police Department, says volunteer search parties had been looking for him since his father reported he’d run away early Sunday.
Simpson says it’s disheartening to know a child in the area experienced such despair.
“Over the last several years, we’ve had several young people take their own lives. I mean, even just one is too much.”
Simpson says members of the search parties were encouraged to discuss their feelings at critical incident debriefing Thursday.
Cory Talich, an assistant principal at Carey Junior High, said a crisis team helped teachers approach Alexander’s classmates about his death and made counselors available to students and staff.
Talich says they’re encouraging students focus on positive memories instead of sadness.
“Alex was a very kind young man, a little on the quieter side. He loved the railroad. He was a young man who made very strong connection with several adults and different students in our building. And the news of his passing really shocked our school.”
Police have ruled Alex’s death a suicide, however Talich wouldn’t speculate on Alex’s reasons for taking his own life. Talich says students are being encouraged to speak kindly to one another and to seek help if personal problems become overwhelming.
