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Teen Who Died In Police Shooting At Torrey Pines High Left Suicide Note

A woman tends to a memorial at Torrey Pines High School, May 8, 2017.
Kris Arciaga
A woman tends to a memorial at Torrey Pines High School, May 8, 2017.

UPDATE: 12:15 p.m., May 8, 2017

The Associated Press reports investigators found a suicide note on the Torrey Pines High School student who was killed by police early Saturday morning.

"We believe that he called the police and pulled the gun on them so that he would be shot," Assistant Police Chief Brian Ahearn told the AP.

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Officials have not released the contents of the note, nor have they provided further details about the boy, citing privacy concerns.

Suicide Prevention Resources:

San Diego Crisis Line: (888) 724-7240

Crisis Text Line: 741-741

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-TALK (veterans and military personnel press 1)

Warning signs and what to do

Original story:

Crisis response counselors will be at Torrey Pines High School Monday following the death of a 15-year-old student in an officer-involved shooting in a campus parking lot over the weekend.

RELATED: Police: Torrey Pines High School Student Killed In Officer-Involved Shooting Had BB Gun

Torrey Pines High School staffers will also meet briefly before classes start to address how to assist students during this time, how to respond to media inquiries and answer questions, Principal Rob Coppo said in a statement posted to the school's Facebook page.

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"As educators, we touch the lives of thousands of students during our careers, and while we hope and pray to never experience what we are experiencing right now, it is important that we are prepared to serve our students and community in times like these," Coppo said.

"The next few days will be challenging for us all, and over the coming weeks, we will face additional challenges. As a community, we will need to support each other and unite as a Falcon family."

San Dieguito Union High School District Superintendent Eric Dill said crisis response team would be at Torrey Pines High School to "support students, staff, and parents as needed," and counseling services would be available throughout the district.

"As a community, we have a shared responsibility to care for one another," Dill said. "Please rest assured that we will do everything possible to maintain our daily routine while supporting each other as we deal with this sad event."

The name of the boy killed outside the school early Saturday has not been released by police. Coppo said he would also withhold the name the teen along with personal details about him in line with his family's wishes.

Police determined the boy had himself summoned officers to the school on Del Mar Heights Road to check the welfare of a 15-year-old male around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, San Diego police homicide Lt. Mike Holden said.

The Torrey Pines High School parking lot where a student was shot by police is shown in this photo, May 6, 2017.
KPBS Staff
The Torrey Pines High School parking lot where a student was shot by police is shown in this photo, May 6, 2017.

A pair of arriving officers spotted the teen in a parking lot in front of the school. He pulled what appeared to be a handgun but turned out to be a semi-automatic BB air pistol, from his waistband and pointed it at one of the officers, ignoring orders to drop the weapon, Holden said.

As he began to advance on one of the lawmen, "both officers fired their weapons at the male striking him numerous times," Holden said. He later died in a hospital despite efforts to save his life.

Authorities refrained from immediately labeling the incident a case of suicide-by-cop.

Teen Who Died In Police Shooting At Torrey Pines High Left Suicide Note
Counselors To Help Torrey Pines High Students Mourn Classmate's Death GUEST:Megan Burks, education reporter, KPBS News

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