School sends home letter following suicide pact

Forest Park High School principal Eric Brent on Wednesday sent home a letter with all students regarding the suicide deaths of seniors Quirinius Williams and Desiree Patrick.

Williams, 18, and Patrick, 17, died from gunshot wounds on Monday night at the Triangle home of Patrick’s father, the result of a suicide pact between the teenagers, according to Prince William County police.

Brent’s letter states, among other things, to:

“Encourage your child to talk with you about the feelings he/she may be experiencing concerning this tragedy and to be aware that your child may not feel like ‘business as usual’ for a while. Talk about ways to feel better.

“It is strongly recommended that you accompany your child to the funeral or memorial service, if your child expresses an interest in attending and to watch for ongoing signs of difficulty that may indicate your child may need additional help. Possible signs are prolonged sadness, withdrawal from social contacts, changes in eating or sleeping habits, or other behaviors unusual for your child.”

On both Tuesday and Wednesday, students had the opportunity to participate in group or individual counseling provided by members of the school crisis response team and the School Division's Critical Incident Team.

The letter also states that staff will continue to be available as needed to help students deal with their grief.

The suicide pact came as a surprise to both families. Williams’ stepfather Ruben Aguilar believed his stepson and Patrick may have attended a recent homecoming football game at Forest Park together, but was not sure whether they were dating.

“She was a good kid,” said Patrick’s father Bob in a previous interview. “I wish I could have got her to do her homework more often but I don’t know what could have led to this.”

According to the latest statistics provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there were 33,300 suicides in the United States in 2006, including 4,189 people ages 15 to 24.

Only 20 percent of people who die from suicide are either receiving some variation of psychological counseling or were taking medication for their issues, said AFSP medical director Paula Clayton.

Two Osbourn High School students died from suicide last fall and at least six other individuals died in Prince William County as a result of either suicide or murder-suicide in 2009, according to published reports.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.