Last week I got a horrific phone call informing me my 7th grader's friend died from a self-inflicted gunshot to his head. At first,it was said to be an accident ,but we soon knew that he had intentionally done this.The family had guns, as hunters & they were always locked up in separate places from the ammo. It turns out the last time they were at the practice range, he snuck bullets from there into his pocket..There were really no warning signs that might sound an "alarm"-he was an always happy,joking kind of boy-obviously that demeanor hid alot of pain/emotion. His family was about to move to another state far away & had finally sold their home after over a year on the market,making the move possible. I can't help but feel he probably did it because he didn't want to move or perhaps feared starting over in a new community. He had sooo many friends here & was well like by all the girls. My son is so devastated & sad, but my surprise is my reaction-I think I'm more devastated & depressed. I can't get him out of my mind,or what his parents are going through. He was only over a few times & I didn't know him well, but I knew his dad from a committee we were on together.
I can't believe someone so young committed suicide-but I've read the incidence is 60% higher in homes where there are firearms-probably because when the child/teen gets an impulse/feels desperate,there is something immediately deadly available that they can use.
I lost my brother 10 months ago after a 3 1/2 year battle with leukemia & while I know that this has opened the "grief wound" for me, I don't think my feelings have too much to do with my brother per say-the situation is totally different. My husband thinks I need help/counseling,but I come from a counseling type background & know what one would say to me-it annoys me to think of going to one-I'd be preempting whatever they'd say. I'm trying so hard to deal with this, it hurts so bad to know a young boy is gone and his family is forever scarred.

I am so sorry for your loss. It makes perfect sense to me, that you are having a terrible time with it!
When my son was a junior in high school, his best friend shot himself. It was a very hard time for all of us. His friend was supposed to be the best man in his brother's wedding the week after his suicide and my DS was asked to step in - which he did. They had a funeral on Wednesday and a wedding on Saturday. I am telling you all this because the severity didn't hit DS until quite a while after everything settled down. I still start crying every time I hear the boy's favorite song or see a picture of him ao talk about him (it was 4 years ago). He was here so much ... he could have been mine.