Lake Elmo school officials reached out to students today after news broke about the death of two of its ninth grade students.
The bodies of the teens were discovered in a park in Lakeland, Minn., Tuesday evening, according to several media reports.
Authorities at the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call just after 7:30 p.m. reporting the discovery of the bodies, a WCCO-TV report states.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the incident and is expected to release more information Wednesday afternoon, a sheriff's office official said.
Oak-Land Junior High administrators informed teachers and students of the deaths on and allowed students to meet with counselors if they wished, said Derek Berg, the school's principal.
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School officials also sent an e-mail about the incident to parents this morning. The note also included information about grief support services available to students.
"Be aware that your child may experience strong feelings in response to this news and may acquire additional support," Berg wrote in the letter.
The school is assembling a crisis team and plans to utilize counselors and school psychologists, as well as community counselors in the coming days to assist students in need, the press release stated.
Oak-Land Junior High is located in Lake Elmo.
- Long is a reporter at the Woodbury (Minn.) Bulletin, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.
