Confirmed by Alison Levine, Communications Director for the State of Delaware Coroner's Office, Brittany Lafferty, 16, of West Grove, died on Feb. 17 at the Christiana Hospital, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

West Grove Borough Police Chief Errol Galloway confirmed the 911 call came in on Feb. 17 at 1:08 p.m. West Grove Ambulance and Medic 94 advanced paramedics also received the calls at the same time.

Galloway's officers were immediately dispatched to her residence where it was clear that there was no homicide involved, no domestic confrontation, and no accident. He said the wounds were clearly self-inflicted in an interview with the Sun.

Lafferty stayed home from school that day due to illness, said Galloway.

Medic 94 CEO Bob Hotchkiss said that due to the nature of the patient's injuries, Christiana Care Lifenet helicopter service was immediately put on standby and two paramedics were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the paramedic in charge determined that Lafferty's injuries were such that she needed to be transported by helicopter to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center in Delaware.

The helicopter landed at the Avon Grove High School/Fred S. Engle Middle School bus lot at the school's campus at the intersection of State and Schoolhouse Roads. Hotchkiss said the decision to airlift from the site was simply coincidental, as the site is a common, pre-established landing zone for the West Grove Borough. Once stabilized, she was transported to the Trauma Center where she died of her wounds according to the Medical Examiner's Office of Delaware.

Galloway said that suicides within the borough are rare, he receives a call regarding a suicide about once every eighteen months. The calls generally span the generations and vary in method. He is concerned about fallout from Lafferty's death and said he has already responded to one domestic disturbance, a verbal confrontation between an adult and juvenile, which was clearly the "fallout" from this suicide he said.

School Response

While the Avon Grove School District has made no official comment and will not specifically address Lafferty's manner of death in deference to the Lafferty family, School Superintendent Augustus Massaro said that it was important for the community to know that the District's Tragic Response plan was activated at the commencement of the school day on Feb. 18 to help students cope with the untimely death.

It is the second death at the high school in only three months. Another student was killed in an automobile accident in November of 2003.

Massaro said it is a very difficult time for the school. "I was personally up at the high school - we had a lot of resources available to help our students, staff and faculty ... Everyone is this community traditionally pulls together. They are doing a phenomenal job."

In a telephone interview, Dwayne Carroll, Chair of the AGHS Guidance Department detailed the Tragic Response plan.

A Tragic Response plan is in place for each schoolhouse in the Avon Grove School District. Once activated, said Carroll, counselors and school psychologists from all over the school district, as well as representatives of different community - based agencies are either physically on hand or on call to initiate communication and reach out to students. The team reaches out to all school staff including cafeteria workers and maintenance staff to both assist them in dealing with their own emotions and also to educate them on what to look for and do in support of the students. Indeed, Massaro confirmed that Dr. Guy Mazza, Director of Pupil Services pulled staff members from all the schools to assist.

"It is important to get the eyes and ears out there for everybody," said Carroll.

According to Carroll, the Tragic Response Plan works in conjunction with the school's Student Assistance Team. The Student Assistance Team is a group of administrators, counselors and teachers, which meets several times per week to help identify and work with students "at risk". It exists in each schoolhouse in some form.

"When something like this happens, it is an integral part of the response...the kids know they have someplace to go," said Carroll.

The most important aspect of the plan is to communicate to students and staff that there is an open door policy - students know where they can go to talk through their emotions. Also key, he said is a lot of follow-up. Problems do not always tend to surface in the first days after a tragedy. His team will be looking for problems for months. They are capable and willing to refer students to the appropriate resources for help. Carroll encourages parents to contact the Guidance Office with any concerns.

"We have to keep on top of things," he said. "In general, we have a good response to our plan," he said.

Massaro agreed, "It's happened twice and I am proud we are coping."

ŠAvon Grove Sun 2004