The community of Wollongong is in mourning following the death of a Year 11 student who took his own life in the city’s central business district on Monday.
Emergency services were alerted to the area at around 11.15 am after reports that a teenage boy had reportedly been seriously injured.
Several ambulances and police cars were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Unfortunately, the teenager was not able to be saved.
The mall remained open, though parts of its food court were temporarily closed.
It’s believed that the boy, who was a student at the selective Smith’s Hill High School, was a regular at the mall.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education released a statement to reporters, saying that the community was supporting the students’ families and teachers.
The department also offered its condolences to the boy’s family.
Additional counselors were also made available to the school to support its students and staff, and the NSW Coroner is expected to determine the cause of the death.
Gordon Bradbery, the Lord Mayor of Wollongong, said that more support was needed to protect the emotional wellbeing of the students.
In an interview with the media, Bradbery expressed his condolences to the boy’s family and said that the community would support them in any way it could.
He also urged the people to surround the students with love and support.