Utah 9th Grader Dies from ‘Self-Inflicted Gunshot’ During School Field Trip

A student in Utah died from a “self-inflicted gunshot” during a school field trip, according to authorities.

Shortly after 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 24, an unidentified ninth grader from Canyon View Junior High in Orem pulled the trigger on a gun they had brought with them on the school’s visit to South Fork Park in Provo Canyon, local news outlet Fox 13 reported. Teachers and staff quickly alerted authorities while moving other students away from the wounded child.

The student, whose name is not being released at this time, was flown to a local hospital after deputies and medical teams arrived at the scene, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) said in a news release shared on Facebook.

“Unfortunately, the student did succumb to their injuries,” the sheriff’s office stated. “No other students nor staff were injured during the incident.”

Detectives are investigating the “tragic incident” to find out where the student got the firearm, as well as their motive for allegedly shooting themselves.

Ian Campbell, a fellow ninth grader at the school, recalled the school field trip being “pretty fun,” having enjoyed sports and food, per ABC 4.

He said the shooting took place as the time was coming near for students to get back on the bus to school.

“I remember I was playing spike ball with my friend, and then I just heard a loud pop,” Campbell told the outlet. “I didn’t think much of it, but eventually, I saw that a lot of people were running, and I saw that a lot of teachers rushed over. No one really knew what was happening.”

“It was pretty traumatic to hear what happened, and some students — I know a lot of them were crying,” he added, per ABC 4. “What happened was pretty scary.”

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The Alpine School District has made counseling resources available to students and staff, according to the UCSO. Students are also being given time to process the shooting before being questioned amid the police’s ongoing investigation.

Classes were scheduled to continue at the school as normal in the immediate days following the shooting, but a parent-teacher conference that was planned was canceled.

The school said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that they are encouraging parents to engage in the grieving process, as adolescents process and “recover better when they have a trusted adult to guide them.”

“We are heartbroken as a school district at the passing of one of our students today, a 9th grader who went to Canyon View Junior High. We offer deepest condolences to the student’s family and friends,” the school district added.

The UCSO did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Sept. 27.