PLACENTIA, Calif. — An employee at a Placentia middle school reportedly killed himself on school grounds Monday. Classes were canceled and students were sent home.
The Assistant Principal of Kraemer Middle School, Moises Plascencia, took his life in a staff area away from students, according to the school.
Around 9:00 a.m., police say Plascencia shot himself inside a locked staff bathroom in the school’s administration area near the front office.
Principal Michael Young wrote the following letter announcing the tragedy.
Dear Kraemer Middle School Community,
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write you this afternoon. I am incredibly sorry to announce that our Assistant Principal Moises Plascencia took his own life earlier this morning on campus. The incident took place in a private staff area and fellow staff members and students were not present nor was the occurrence witnessed by anyone. The Placentia Police Department (PPD) responded swiftly to our request for support.
Words will never be able to express our true sorrow regarding this loss. While we may never make sense of nor understand why this occurred, please know how deeply Mr. Plascencia cares for your students, their education, and all of Kraemer Middle School.
As we begin to process this unthinkable grief, we are suspending normal school operations through the remainder of the day. School will resume tomorrow with our regular schedule. The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District’s (PYLUSD) team of highly qualified mental health professionals will be on campus to serve and support students, staff, and families. Anyone impacted by this incident is encouraged to come to the multipurpose room for mental health support at any time throughout the remainder of the week.
We thank you for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as we continue to navigate this terrible tragedy on our campus. We also thank Placentia PD and our other community partners for their support. Our commitment to you is that we will stay in regular communication over the coming days to ensure you are informed about next steps.
Sincerely,
Michael Young
*****
The Placentia Police Department is investigating.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
