A man killed himself at a popular Chester County park causing a school district to divert bus routes in an attempt to keep children from seeing the deadly scene.
West Chester Police alerted the West Chester Area School District of the body of a man at Marshall Square Park near E Marshall and N Matlack streets around 7 a.m. Monday, said the district.
On Tuesday, the Chester County Coroner's Office ruled the death of the 56-year-old man a suicide. They didn't immediately identify the man and didn't disclose exact details about how he died.
WCASD Superintendent Jim Scanlon sent a letter home to parents of B. Reed Henderson High School, E.N. Peirce Middle School and Fern Hill Elementary School students Monday that spoke of the district's efforts to re-route buses so that students wouldn't see the park as police investigated.
The district made counselors available to any students who wanted to talk about the death.
SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.