STUDENTS GRIEVING CAMPUS SUICIDE

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The popularity of a scholar-athlete who committed suicide in the parking lot of Charleston High School was apparent in the shock and grief etched on the faces of students and faculty.

The school's principal found Ben Hopper, 17, in the student parking lot just outside the school's south entrance on Monday. Hopper was slumped over in the front seat of his grandmother's car, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, his .22-caliber rifle lying nearby.

Principal Joe Forrest said the gun wasn't ever in the school, and no students said they were in the parking lot when it went off sometime between when classes began at 8:15 a.m. and when Forrest found the body at 11:20 a.m.

John McMikle, Mississippi County's coroner, ruled the incident a suicide after an autopsy. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

But Charleston police chief Richard Couch said the case remains under investigation.

"He apparently came to school and became upset over a situation with a friend," Couch said.

Counselors were to be at the school again today for any of the school's 380 students who need to talk.

More than 100 of them went home following an official announcement around noon, but school remained in session because of transportation concerns and to give students access to school counselors and a crisis intervention team that came from Bootheel Counseling Services of Sikeston, Mo.

Counselors also hoped keeping students in school would provide some semblance of normalcy.

"The students are still in shock and confused -- there are a lot of mixed emotions," said high school guidance counselor Ceola Morris. "We were just open to students. There was not a whole lot of teaching going on."

Hopper's friends and teachers said he was a popular student. He was a member of the National Honor Society, marching and jazz bands and environmental club, and he had competed on the tennis team for three years. He was currently serving as manager for the school's softball team.

"I don't know what to think," said Aaron Powell as he prepared to leave school with his mother.

Powell, a friend who performed in the jazz band, said the suicide was unexpected, although he heard Hopper mention it on at least one occasion.

Jazz band director Chris Starr said he was unable to speak with Hopper's fellow musicians about the incident but recognized their grief would be great because of the closeness of the group. The jazz band was scheduled to participate in the District Music Festival in Cape Girardeau later this week, but Starr said he would allow students to decide whether to attend the event.

"It wasn't like he was off on his own and a loner," Starr said. "There are a lot of kids who are very affected by this.

"Jazz band is always a real tight-knit group but especially this year. If it conflicts with funeral arrangements we definitely won't go, but otherwise, if they decide we want to go, we'll go."

School officials had contacted Hopper's grandparents after learning he had dropped off his backpack prior to his first class period but never showed up for the class. Forrest said the grandmother saw her car in the student parking lot but didn't open the door, going to the principal's office instead.

"He lived across the street, so when we went out the door, I thought we were going to the house," Forrest said. "She started walking left toward the student parking lot, and I saw her car."

Forrest checked Hopper for a pulse and didn't find one.

After contacting police, Forrest locked the doors to the school and instructed students at a nearby vocational agriculture building not to return to the main school building. The procedure was a precautionary measure to keep students from walking through the parking lot and getting in the way of emergency personnel, Forrest said.

"Parents were already coming in. Our thoughts were we just didn't want anyone going out there and interfering," he said..