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01/31/2018 11:00 PMTown officials held a press conference this morning (video here) to provide an update on the efforts being made in the aftermath of yesterday’s tragic loss of 15 year-old Guilford High School freshman Ethan Song to a gunshot wound.
Superintendent of Guilford Public Schools Paul Freeman detailed the counseling efforts that began early last night as the district learned of the tragedy. He said the school was seeking to have as normal a day as possible, with mental health support services from Guilford and surrounding towns available throughout the day.
"I was there as students arrived this morning," he said. "They are very sad, they are confused, they are shocked, but they are there to support each other. There were a lot of hugs in Guilford High School this morning. Students are reaching out and taking care of each other. Students asked me if I was OK this morning. We have an incredibly resilient community. We are going to miss Ethan. It's a terrible loss, but I know our students are going to get through this."
Freeman said there is no new information regarding the investigation at this time, but described Song as an involved young man with siblings in the Guilford School system. First Selectman Matt Hoey said the town has deployed resources to help residents as well and, following permission from Gov. Dannel Malloy; the flag in Guilford will be lowered to half-staff today. Hoey encouraged all businesses and residents to do the same if possible.
On his Facebook page, Mike Song, father of Ethan Song, posted the following:
“Thank you to all those who have expressed their sympathy at our tragic loss. We are a strong family but this no doubt is our greatest trial and darkest hour. While we are numb with grief, we were touched by the outreach of the entire community. Our greatest hope is that Ethan’s death will not be in vain so please, rather than sending flowers, we ask that you consider donating to The Ethan Song Memorial Fund.”
The fund, at www.gofundme.com/ethan-song-memorial-fund, substantially exceeded its $5,000 goal in less than an hour, and within seven hours garnered more than $40,000, from more than 600 people. A note on the fundraising page said the fund would honor Ethan's life and go to support causes he believed in, including animal rights, human rights, and gun advocacy and education.
In addition to town and school services, the First Congregational Church of Guilford is opening its doors from 2 to 5 p.m. today to all members of the community. Support services will be provided. Rev. Sarah Verasco said the Song family is a member of the church and Ethan was a member of the Pilgrim Fellowship.
"Our hearts and prayers and love go out to the families affected by this tragedy," she said.
Details on the shooting are still sparse as the investigation progresses. Guilford Police Chief Jeff Hutchinson said the department received a report of a shooting at around 3:25 p.m. on Jan. 31. They found two teens, the gunshot victim and another teen, whom Hutchinson tentatively characterized as an acquaintance of the victim. No adults were in the house when police arrived.
The victim was transported to the hospital by ambulance and died shortly after his arrival.
“We are really early in this investigation,” Hutchinson said. “We have a lot of work to do before we can figure out exactly what happened.”
The Guilford department has asked the Connecticut State Police to help with processing the scene.
Song's autopsy has been completed, but the cause and manner of his death are still undetermined pending further investigation. Liaisons have been assigned to the families involved at this time to ensure "they receive any information first," according to Hutchinson.
The other individual in the home at the time of the shooting is not in custody but police will not release any further information, as the individual is a minor according to Hutchinson.
"We are still actively investigating but there is a lot of work to do," said Hutchinson. "We are anxious to provide answers to the families and certainly to the community to help understand what happened."
Guilford First Selectman Matt Hoey last night expressed his deepest sympathies in light of the tragedy.
“On behalf of the Town of Guilford, I would like to extend the most heartfelt sympathies to the families impacted by the tragic event that resulted in the loss of one of our young adults,” he said. “Guilford is a community that has always demonstrated the capacity to come together to support its neighbors and friends when these events happen to any member of the community and this will be no different. The Guilford Public Schools will be mobilizing counseling teams to support our students as they attempt to understand and deal with the impact to their lives. Additionally, Guilford Youth & Family Services is also actively engaged and prepared to provide support as well. While there will inevitably be a wide array of speculation on what happened, I would urge that we all respect the privacy of those involved. We will rely on the Guilford Police Department to conduct a thorough investigation and will share information as appropriate. I also ask that we all keep these families in our thoughts and prayers as they deal with this tragic event.”
Hoey said community and sports related activities have been canceled for the evening.
“We are going to have counselors available at both Guilford High School and at Adams Middle School,” he said. “Students who need to talk or who need support will have support provided to them. We are reaching out other organizations and school districts for additional support if it is needed. We will be ready to help our kids tomorrow morning.”
Following the news, Freeman sent an email out to the school community.
Dear Guilford Public Schools Community:
“I am very sorry to have to share some tragic news this evening. A Guilford High School freshman died this afternoon of a gunshot wound. We know that this tragedy will impact our students and the members of our extended school community. Please know that the schools will be there to support your children as they process their sadness and struggle to make sense of this event.
“At this time there are no details about how this occurred. I am sorry that I do not have more to share, but further information will be made available as soon as it is appropriate to do so.
“Please be aware that there is an enormous amount of information currently passing through social media related to this incident, but at this time there are simply no other facts that I can share with you. Guilford Police are investigating the incident. I am confident that they will be thorough, and we will know more in time. There is no way to know if any of the information currently being disseminated through social media is accurate. If I may, I would suggest that as you talk with your children about this tragic event, that you remind them that the details they are reading on social media may not be true .
“Tomorrow morning, additional school counselors and social workers will be available at both Adams Middle School and Guilford High School to support students and staff.
“Please keep the student and the family in your thoughts. At times such as this, it is important that the Guilford community come together to support each other.
This story will be updated.