Two girls found dead took their own lives; school district to offer grief counseling
Two teenage girls whose bodies were found near the Stanislaus River in Oakdale Saturday morning are believed to have taken their own lives.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the case is a tragic double suicide involving two juvenile females, ages 15 and 17,” Oakdale Police Chief Scott Heller said Saturday afternoon. “Both victims are believed to have died from small-caliber gunshot wounds.”
He said both girls were from Oakdale. “We are still investigating their relationship,” he said.
The girls’ identities were not released.
Officers were first called the to area around 10:05 a.m. when a man who was going fishing found them on the riverbank below Kimball Street and River Avenue.
Heller said they are believed to have died less then 24 hours before they were discovered.
The girls reportedly were students at Oakdale High School. Schools are closed as students study from home during the coronavirus pandemic, and Oakdale Joint Unified School began its spring-break week Saturday.
On how grief counseling will be offered to students, district Superintendent Marc Malone told The Bee in an email Sunday, “Any student in need of grief counseling can contact the OJUSD District Office (209-848-4884) during this period of distance learning and a direct referral will be made to the OJUSD Grief Counseling Team.”
Craig Dillard, a resident in the area, said he and his family heard one or two gunshots between 5 and 6 p.m. Friday. But, he said, with the Oakdale Police Department shooting range nearby, residents in the area are accustomed to hearing gunshots.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential assistance to anyone in crisis and their loved ones through a live chat and free 24-hour hotline: 800-273-8255.
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Two girls found dead took their own lives; school district to offer grief counseling."
