WELLINGTON, Fla. — Two students from Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington died Wednesday in a shooting that occurred in a Palm Springs neighborhood, according to the School District of Palm Beach County.
In a letter to parents and school staff members, Principal Darren Edgecomb didn't provide any additional details about the incident or release the ages of the students who died.
Edgecomb did, however, say extra mental health counselors were at the school Thursday to provide support to students, teachers, and staff members, and there are also additional law enforcement officers on campus "to reassure our students that maintaining safety and security on our campus is always the District's top priority."
The principal added that, according to police, this appears to be an "isolated incident."
Below is the full letter from Edgecomb to parents, guardians and staff members:
Good afternoon Palm Beach Central Parents/Guardians and Staff,
As the Principal of Palm Beach Central High School, it is with profound sadness that I am sharing with you the tragic news that two of our students died yesterday during an off-campus incident.
While I am not at liberty to name the students at this time, I am fully aware of the tremendous emotional impact this will have on our campus.
I have arranged for extra counselors to be available for any students or members of staff who will benefit from speaking with a behavioral health professional. There is also an increased police presence on our campus today to reassure our students that maintaining safety and security on our campus is always the District’s top priority.
While this is an ongoing and active investigation, police have informed the District that this appears to be an isolated incident.
At Palm Beach Central, we are a family that celebrates our successes and grieves our losses together.
Respectfully,
Darren Edgecomb,
Principal, Palm Beach Central High School
"I definitely noticed there were a lot of people who were kind of distraught by the news," student Nicholas Valdiviezo said. "There wasn't really the same energy as usual."
Parents also reflected on the tragic news.
"These kids went to the same school as my son. They are seniors. That is what I heard. It's heartbreaking," parent Rosana Chaparro said. "Somebody needs to do something about all these shootings."
Palm Beach Central High School, located at 8499 West Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, has the fourth-largest student enrollment among Palm Beach County high schools for the 2022-23 academic year with 2,993 students, according to the latest figures from the School District of Palm Beach County.