East Central has lost many students this year, including best friends killed in wreck
Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you love is struggling with a mental health crisis, there are resources available. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by texting or dialing 988.
The past year has been one marked with several losses for the East Central High School community in Jackson County.
The death of 14-year-old Sawyer Magee came as a devastating blow for the ECHS family. Anxiety and depression overwhelmed the star athlete, who took his own life April 11. Sawyer’s family spoke to WLOX-TV to promote mental health awareness after his death.
Two days after Sawyer died, a strong rip current off Dauphin Island caught East Central senior Karragan Cochran. She was rescued and transported to a Mobile hospital in critical condition, but did not recover.
This week, tragedy struck again. East Central juniors Baleigh Bowlin and Chloe Taylor were killed in a car accident off Highway 613. The best friends were 16 years old. Friends and family came together to place a memorial at the site where the girls died.
There was one more reported death of an ECHS student this year. The Sun Herald has reached out to the school for more information.
In the aftermath of each tragedy, ECHS provided extra school counselors and youth pastors to help students cope with their grief. The administration also offered the following resources for those in mourning.
The state recently launched Mental Health Mississippi, a website created to help you easily access mental health services for children and adults in Mississippi. You can search mentalhealthms.com for services and resources in your local area. Visit the site to also find resources such as Mobile Crisis Response Teams, Crisis Lifelines, and the DMHHelpline, all of which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help.
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 2:21 PM.
