Young Boy's Suicide Shocks Hinton Residents

A small town is in shock over the suicide of an 8th-grader. The death of a young boy in Hinton is the most recent in a string of suicides, coming after three suicides in Edmond.

The young boy who killed himself this week moved into the central Oklahoma town with his family not too long ago. Many people hadn't gotten to know his family well, but one woman who saw him almost every day says this is a tragedy that could have been avoided.

"They're holding up. They're just praying a lot and doing the best they can ever since, you know, it happened. I mean, her and Colten were really close."

That's what Colten's sister told this woman who saw the two almost every day at the local store she works in.

"Every time I'd talk to them, they were always nice and helpful and I just, I liked them a lot, they just seemed like really good people."

Colten's suicide rocked Hinton. With allegations of bullying as the cause, the community comes together to make sure nothing like this happens again. And it starts at Hinton Junior High School where everyone knows each other well.

Superintendent Patrick Duffy says coping with this suicide is a challenge.

"We wanted to make sure they felt comfortable. They were able to talk about their grief, to be consoled, and to be able to be helped in e best way possible," he said.

"This particular group of eight-graders has suffered more than any group of students should have to suffer."

He says the schools do everything they can to make sure something like this doesn't happen.