Here is the text of the email; however, I am redacting the name of the student - and identifying details - for now out of respect for her, and her family:
Dear Whitman Community,
A Whitman student unexpectedly died last night, and our school is in mourning. [xxxxxx] was a [xx]th grader, a member of the [xxxxx] and next year she was going to be a leader of our [xxxxx] Club. We have numerous upset staff and students. Our counselors are meeting with students and staff, and MCPS has sent additional counselors and psychologists to help. Nothing saddens me more than the loss of a child. I will share any information I learn from the family regarding arrangements as they become available. Please keep [xxxx] and her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Alan Goodwin
I will update this story when it is appropriate to provide identifying information. I thank the commenter below for being one of the people to share the email with me. I will hide that comment for now, again, out of respect for the student and her family. The cause of death has not been officially identified yet.
Massachusetts Avenue remained closed in Bethesda between Westbard Avenue and Little Falls Parkway for about five hours last night, as Montgomery County police conducted what appeared to be a death investigation in the roadway. Officers were called to the scene for a report of a pedestrian being struck by a car near the Capital Crescent Trail bridge around 8:15 PM last night.
A substantial number of police cruisers remained on the scene for the rest of the evening, blocking the road as officers detoured traffic. A diagonal line of cones directed drivers onto Westbard from Massachusetts.The road reopened around 1:00 AM this morning.
Police have not released any information to the public regarding the case as of press time. Three sources tell me officers were investigating a death.
26 comments:
Sadly a Whitman HS sophomore committed suicide last night.
6:04: Thank you for sharing the email. I have posted a redacted version in my update above, and temporarily hidden your comment until it is appropriate to provide identification of the student, and all details have been confirmed.
Shouldn't you also delete the comment at 5:51 AM, Mr. Dyer?
The name of the student has been published.
Pedestrian collisions are usually announced on mymcpnews.com (MoCo Police) but this one wasn't. Is that because it was a suicide?
I go to an MCPS school, and heard about this. That was related, and from what I heard the student jumped off the bridge into the traffic, committing suicide.
11:03: The police have not made any public statement regarding the incident on Massachusetts Avenue last night, as of this writing.
Last night there were students all over the bridge on the CCT with candles and signs.
Article badly needs an update.
Also there were three other serious traffic incidents since then, one of which had a fatality.
9:06: Hysterical comment. You've got the whole story right here, sad sack. I was covering this from the minute it happened, and with respect for the student and her family.
Contrast that with the small-and-slightly-failing magazine's late reports, desperately seeking a way to get clicks but without linking to me. They haven't been able to control their compulsion to get the "S"-word into their articles on this, to capitalize on a tragedy for cheap clicks. They badgered the police into making an insensitive disclosure, which was highly inappropriate and completely speculative information. I'm not sure which was creepier, the sleazy inclusion of the "S"-word for clicks, or the Roy Moore-esque reporter hanging out with the teen girls' candlelight vigil.
Get right, man!
The fact is, there have been 3 major stories out of Whitman over the last several years, and I have broken each one of them. The Post and magazine have been reduced to plagiarizing my scoops in all 3 cases. But why wait for less information later: This blog is THE source for information for the Whitman community in Bethesda.
Dyer, your comments just keep getting more defensive, petulant, self-centered and insane with each passing day.
"You've got the whole story right here, sad sack. I was covering this from the minute it happened, and with respect for the student and her family. Contrast that with the small-and-slightly-failing magazine's late reports, desperately seeking a way to get clicks but without linking to me."
So this tragedy is all about you. What an incredibly selfish prick you are.
"They haven't been able to control their compulsion to get the "S"-word into their articles on this, to capitalize on a tragedy for cheap clicks. They badgered the police into making an insensitive disclosure, which was highly inappropriate and completely speculative information. I'm not sure which was creepier, the sleazy inclusion of the "S"-word for clicks."
Nothing "speculative". It's fact. I'm sad for the student but creating a stigma about any discussion of suicide does not help young people who find themselves in a desperate situation and need our help.
"[T]he Roy Moore-esque reporter hanging out with the teen girls' candlelight vigil."
No adult should be allowed to report on events at our local high schools? Do you know how insane that sounds?
"The fact is, there have been 3 major stories out of Whitman over the last several years, and I have broken each one of them. The Post and magazine have been reduced to plagiarizing my scoops in all 3 cases."
There have been a lot more than just "3 major stories out of Whitman during the past three years".
4:26: Sorry, punk. You sound like an idiot. The police have made no factual finding. Until then, if ever, rumors are just that. Try to show some respect for the family.
Yes, adults can report news about schools, but, no, they shouldn't be hanging around teens from those schools. That was creepy, to say the least.
There have been only 3 big stories out of Whitman: fatal crash, SHA surprise traffic signals, and this story. What is another big Whitman story besides those in the last few years.
Oh My God! Look, please do not argue on a post about suicide. This girl was someone who I grew up with and I'm just trying to find out more information.
6:01: If you're looking for information and Walt Whitman-related news, you've definitely come to the right place.
Says Dyer after deleting a link to the much more informative articles on Bethesda Beat.
What 6:01 was looking for was compassion for the loss.
Not flagrant self-promotion.
The death of a teen, by their own hand, is tragic and has been on the rise. It's a tough thing for teens to understand and deal with.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-800-273-8255
Best Practices For Covering Suicide
Covering suicide is never easy, but it's very important to do it right. Research has shown that improper reporting on suicide can contribute to additional suicides and suicide attempts.
Always include a referral phone number and information about local crisis intervention services. In online coverage, include links to prevention resources to help inform readers and reduce risk of contagion.
6:14: LOL, their article had only a fraction of the information mine did, and I covered it as breaking news from the beginning, just like the other Whitman stories I broke. The only thing they had was a cheap ploy for clicks by dragging the S-word into the article any way they could.
6:15: And that's exactly what I delivered, with informative coverage that didn't put unnecessary details that would hurt the family out there. They haven't held a press conference and asked for anyone to talk about conjecture regarding this tragic and untimely death. Let the girl rest in peace and the family have some privacy at this time, rather than try to sensationalize for cheap clicks like the small-and-slightly-failing magazine. Good God.
I don't need to include info about the S-word, because I've never mentioned the S-word in my coverage. There's never been any official announcement regarding this incident that confirmed any such finding. I don't report unverified rumors, just facts.
Certainly, you've got some good information there in your comment however, much needed in a time when those with mental illness in the county are being underserved by the County Council.
Dyer on the one hand criticises Bethesda Beat for"using the s-word"
Dyer on the other hand implies that the County Council is somehow responsible for the student's death because "those with mental illnesses are being underserved by the County Council."
It's disgusting that Dyer can't let go of his grudges long enough to have some humanity when covering this tragedy.
And still no compassion for 6:01.
It's not about you.
Anna - Don't expect to find compassion in a comment that begins with "LOL".
7:41/7:57: The fact that you would question my compassion, when it's clear that I've handled this story from the beginning with compassion and extreme sensitivity (unlike some competing outlets), proves you are just here to fight and insult. Your actions speak for themselves.
I made reference to your comment @5:50. No more, no less.
It's still Not.About.You.
You need to settle down. This post reveals you are an amateur. This story is not about you. Real reporters and respectable bloggers wouldn’t call their readers names or freak out when others report a story they too are covering. This was hardly a scoop so pipe down and at least attempt to look like a pro, even if you aren’t one.
City Council? Really?
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