There is no easy way to say this.
Or report it.
Cayman Naib took his own life. The 13-year-old eighth-grader at the Shipley School died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Delaware County Medical Examiner. It has been ruled a suicide.
On Monday, we played the story that Cayman's body had been found as our lead on Page One. We used a photo from a vigil that was held in his honor at the school Sunday night, along with a cut-in shot of Cayman's boyish face.
You will notice that the story of how Cayman died does not appear on Page One. It certainly could have, and I would be lying if I told you that I did not consider it.
We have a pretty simple policy when it comes to the extremely sensitive matter of suicide. Unless it involves a person whose role in the community is too big to ignore, in general if it does in private and does not affect the public, we do not run them in the paper.
I will tell you not everyone agrees with that rule. And some whose loved one's death does get reported are often perplexed as to why we did it.
In the case of Cayman Naib, hundreds of people had spent five days searching for him after he left his family's house in Newtown Wednesday night.
His body was found covered in snow near a creek that flows through the property.
It had become a very public story.
That is why we ran the story detailing the findings of the medical examiner and the ruling that it was indeed a suicide.
It does not make it any easier.
Or sadder.
I often say there is something most unnatural about a parent burying a child. That's not the way it's supposed to work.
I don't really know all the factors that were going on in Cayman Naib's life.
All I know is that he is gone.
He was 13 years old. In the eighth grade.
Some days I hate this job.
Comments
On the surface it's incredibly perplexing how this seemingly positive & enthusiastic kid could do such a thing. But unfortunately, we don't know about all the other things that could be going on in his life.
Therefore I think that everyone should try to turn such a tragic event into something positive. Specifically look at the kids around us in an effort to help them avoid the types of situations that certainly made this boy feel that suicide is the only option.
to be more educated. Maybe we can save one Cayman.