UTAH COUNTY, Utah — The death of an Orem student by self-inflicted gunshot during a field trip on Wednesday has been ruled a suicide, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
The Canyon View Junior High School ninth-grade student died after shooting himself with a loaded gun while on the class field trip to South Fork Park in Provo Canyon.
The student, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to the hospital immediately after the incident, but later died of their injuries. No other students were injured during the incident.
It's not known how the student gained possession of the gun and how they were able to bring it along on the field trip.
According to the Alpine School District, other students on the field trip witnessed the incident, and the district has made counseling resources available to the students and staff.
Regular classes remained on schedule on Thursday and will continue on Friday; however, parent-teacher conferences that had been planned for Thursday are canceled.
"We are working with law enforcement, medical personnel, and counseling experts to navigate this tragic situation," the district said in a statement.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office said its detectives are still investigating the shooting and will give students a few more days to process what happened before they speak with them.
