Coroner: Death of Boy, 10, at Ill. School Suicide
Thursday, February 5, 2009
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Associated Press: A 10-year-old boy reportedly found hanging from a coat hook at his suburban Chicago school took his own life, according to a preliminary coroner's office ruling on Wednesday. A daily ledger released by the Cook County medical examiner noted "hanging" and "suicide" as the cause of death for fifth-grader Aquan Lewis, who was found unresponsive in a bathroom at the Evanston school Tuesday afternoon and was pronounced dead at a hospital Wednesday morning.
A janitor at Oakton Elementary School, Elliott Lieteau, said he found Aquan on the floor of the restroom and that others told him the boy had been pulled off a hook. Lieteau said he performed CPR.
Speaking before the coroner's finding, a community activist who accompanied Lewis and acted as her spokeswoman said Lewis did not believe her boy committed suicide.
"She sent her son to school yesterday morning in good spirits," Dawn Valenti said. "The next thing she knows she's getting a call that her son died. ... He did not commit suicide. There was nothing wrong with her son."
Evanston police Cmdr. Tom Guenther said the coroner's finding of suicide would not affect how police conduct the investigation. Asked if the finding ruled out any possibility of foul play or an accident, Guenther said, "I don't think we're going to jump to any conclusions at this point."
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It hurts me to my soul to hear of children taking their own lives. This is definitely a tragic thing!
- Anonymous
what is going on with the schools? why are the teachers not paying attention? they need to keep in mind that kids are kids and they can’t be left unsupervised. If the kid was going to the bathroom why wasn’t another kid sent with him? maybe he could of been saved.
- Melissa Espinoza
i just do not understand a 10 year old boy just going to kill himself i judt got mad love for his mom and i do not even know her it is just not right i just cannot picture that happening..and all the school system with all these young teacher and old need to start focusing because i just cannot see this happening..
- princess el
If this is bullying, this HAS TO STOP!! There needs to be laws passed about questionable deaths in schools. At the least there should be a full blown investigation, interrogations and lie detectors tests given to the friends and foes of this child, & any kids in the area when this child was found. Kids need to realize that they cannot get away with bullying ESPECIALLY if death is a result. This is prosecutable and should be prosecuted to the fullest. Kids have to KNOW that they cannot get away with murder. otherwise you are sending a message that its alright to kill if you are a kid in school at the right place at the right time.
- Angel
What bothers me about this is that kids have to fear for their lives while attending school. Whats wrong with this picture? What has this world come to when a mother cannot send her son or daughter to school without wondering if they will return home alive? More advanced programs need to be set up for dealing with bullies. If this child had really committed suicide, his mother would have had doubts and the teachers of this school would have had some clue. I bet this child was ganged up on and hung up. I hope that they find the kids responsible if that ends up being the case and they are dealt with severely. Kids need to know that bullying will not ever be acceptable in schools.
- Angel
Yes this is a very sad situation. I’m very sorry to hear that a child would be left in this situation with no answers other than suicide. I think that SYLVIA BROWN… the well known psychic should be brought in to give some insight to this tragedy. Sylvia has appeared on MONTELL many times and has helped solved numerous cases from murders to disappearances. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL THIS MOM TO SEEK SYLVIA SO SHE CAN AT LEAST FIND OUT IF SUICIDE WAS OR WASN’T THE CASE HERE…… THANX
- Sharon
This coroner’s report screams cover-up. I don’t know how tall this 10-year old was, but if you go into any restroom stall in school or in the public, you will see that the hook is usually higher than eye level. How did he get up there? It would take a lot of jumping and aiming perfectly to get his body on the hook, and I don’t ever recall there being any benches or stools in the school restroom. I don’t know the whole story or the particulars of this story, but something’s not right. A thorough investigation needs to be completed, and if that means interrogating children, then let’s get it done. A child has lost his life! Let’s not let this happen again.
- Neekie G
this is outrageous the bullies need to listen to ” the plan”: (a rock band) called “welcome to my life”
- x>poing
this is outrageous the bullies need to listen to ” the plan”: (a rock band) called “welcome to my life”
- x>poing
this is outrageous the bullies need to listen to ” the plan”: (a rock band) called “welcome to my life”
- x>poing
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