Hanford High School students, staff grieve loss of classmate

RICHLAND, Wash.-- A Hanford High School Freshman has died by suicide according to a letter to families from school administrators.

"We are saddened to inform you of the recent loss of Hanford High School 9th grader Emma Wenz. The family shared that despite the family’s effort to save Emma, she lost her years-long battle with mental illness Sunday after taking her own life."

According to a GoFundMe account established fo the family, Emma had been flown to a Seattle-area hospital to be treated for self-inflicted injuries, and passed away on Sunday.

It's not known how long she had been receiving treatment at the hospital.

Counselors are available to meet with students in person at Hanford High School in the library starting at 8:30 A.M. Tuesday, through a zoom meeting with a counselor in a breakout room, or by scheduling a home visit with a team of RSD counselors. You can contact the high school's main office at 967-6500 to schedule an in-home session.

This is the second death by suicide in the Richland School District since the beginning of the current school year, and the third since in-person learning was cancelled in early 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Related Story: Staff, Students grieve loss of Richland High teen

While Health Department officials have confirmed to Newsradio 610 KONA that the rate of suicides overall in Benton and Franklin Counties was below average in 2020, there is speculation that school closures are exacerbating mental health issues for those teens who were already facing mental health challenges