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Jordan School District helps students cope after classmate deaths

Posted at 12:00 PM, Nov 18, 2013
and last updated 2013-11-18 15:06:43-05

South Jordan, Utah -- Monday was a day of mourning for students in the South Jordan community, as they tried to cope with the death of two classmates.

Friday, Taylor Wheeler, 12, and Dayton Gessell, 15, were found dead from gun shot wounds in a home on Pine Canyon Way.

The tragedy has affected five area high schools and middle schools in the South Jordan area. Monday, the Jordan School District provided grief counseling for all the students who knew Wheeler and Gessell.

"We work more with the 'how are you feeling?' and what to do about it as opposed to 'why?'" said Jordan School District Psychologist Karen Peer. "What happened happened and we don't want to dwell on that."

South Jordan Police have not released much information about the deaths, but they said they are not searching for suspects and the community is safe.

About 100 members of the community gathered Sunday night for a candle light vigil to honor the boys.