An 8-year-old boy attending Seventh Street Elementary in Dove Creek died after school Thursday, said Montezuma County Coroner George Deavers.
Dolores County School District RE-2J identified the student Friday as second grader Owen Gore.
“Our school community has been saddened by the death of one of our second graders, Owen Gore,” elementary Principal Charlotte Forst wrote in a letter to families Friday. “Our hearts go out to this grieving family.”
The cause of his death is being investigated, Deavers said, and an autopsy was scheduled for Friday at Community Hospital in Grand Junction.
The child was reportedly feeling ill, but he did not go home sick, Deavers said.
“The investigation is in the early stages,” he said.
A family member picked the child up from school and drove him to a local medical clinic, Deavers said. The boy was later taken to Southwest Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead that evening.
Results from autopsy and toxicology tests could take up to eight weeks, Deavers said.
The Dolores County Sheriff’s Office also is investigating the death, officials said.
Ty Gray, superintendent of the Dolores County School District Re-2J, said school officials spoke with Gore’s family and will assemble a team of counselors. Students are off for winter break, so staff are looking at how they will address the matter when classes resume Jan. 7. Forst said counselors will be available for students.
“We will be staffed with neighboring counselors, for children needing extra support,” she said. “The counselor will continue to meet in small groups with children as long as needed.”
Forst encouraged parents to speak with their children about the death, adding that different young people will react to the event in different ways.
“You can expect that your child will be affected in some way by this tragedy, even if he or she did not know Owen well,” Forst said. “I encourage you to talk to your child. Discussing thoughts and feelings about death is important to help your child work through his or her grief.”
She suggested parents encourage children to express their feelings through talk, drawings and writing, and giving them supportive responses.
“Finally, encourage your child to talk about happy memories of Owen,” she said. “This will help them remember his life, rather than his death.”
Anyone who wants their child to see a counselor is encouraged to call the school. Help also is available on the Axis Crisis Line at 247-5245.
A GoFundMe account in Owen Gore’s name is at gf.me/v/c/drbl/owen-gore-funeral.