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Grief and support: Ferndale rallies after teen shot and killed at Michigan State Fair
The Ferndale community is mourning following a devastating shooting outside the State Fair that claimed the life of a teenager. As police step up ntensify their search for the shooter, the teen's school and community are uniting to provide support and cope with the immense grief.
FERNDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Ferndale school district is engulfed in grief following the tragic shooting death of a 14-year-old at the Michigan State Fair over the weekend.
The shooter remains on the run after the tragedy outside of the fairgrounds on Saturday night in Novi. But in Ferndale, 14-year-old Darean Davis is being remembered by his classmates and friends.
Two days after the chaotic scene erupted at the Michigan State Fair, students returned to University High School in Ferndale with a cloud of sadness.
"It's unfortunate that we're seeing more and more," Novi Police Cmdr. Jason Meier said on Monday. "The days of getting in a good old fashioned fistfight just seem to be supplanted these days by gun violence."
The sophomore at the high school was killed in what was an otherwise peaceful Labor Day weekend in Metro Detroit.
Therapist Aisha Cunningham is unrelated to the school district but has spent her career working with children and adults dealing with trauma like this.
"The common question is why and how. They’re usually questions you don’t have a specific answer for," she said. "Trying to figure out how something traumatic could happen like that, and why did it happen to that person."
Davis wasn't the only one shot – of one of his friends was also hit in the gunfire and is expected to survive.
Gun violence continues to be one of the leading causes of death for children and teens and Cunningham said it's imperative that adults take care and listen.
"Patience. Empathy. Listening in. Not pushing them to talk. Not pushing them to show any right emotion," she said.
The school brought grief counselors and mental health professionals to the school to support any students, teachers, or parents.