Boy, 15, expected to recover after suicide attempt at park

WASILLA — An unidentified 15-year-old male was expected to recover from a self-inflicted gunshot wound sustained in the Newcomb Park parking lot Friday, authorities said.

Police responded to the popular summer swimming park — which fronts Wasilla Lake — about 1:15 p.m. for a report of a male slumped over the steering wheel of a car with blood coming out of his mouth. Wasilla police and Mat-Su borough emergency medical services personnel responded and rushed the boy first to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, and then to Providence Hospital in Anchorage, where he was expected to survive, said Wasilla Police Chief Gene Belden.

The gunshot wound was a suicide attempt, Belden said.

Police did not intend to release further details, such as the boy’s name, because he is a juvenile, but said his parents had been informed, Belden said.

According to Department of Health and Social Services statistics, Alaska has one of the highest suicide rates per capita in the country. The most recent (2014) publicly available figures say the suicide rate was 22.3 suicides per 100,000 people.

Alaska’s suicide Careline is 877-266-4357, or available by texting “4help” to 839863.

Contact reporter Brian O’Connor at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.