Police: Students, discussing suicide, hung noose at Union Pines High

Seth Powers, Moore County director for student support services, spoke to the media Monday afternoon after a photo of the noose circulated on social media throughout the weekend.

Powers said a student, whose identity he did not release, admitted to fashioning the noose out of twine found in a parking lot and hung it from a tree about 8 feet off the ground.

"The incident occurred during a conversation about teen suicide," Powers said, although he did not elaborate on that conversation or the students involved.

"Thanks to the swift actions of school administration and the Moore County schools police, we were able to quickly identify the root cause of the incident and take appropriate action," he said.

"Students don't understand how these types of things can affect others."

Powers said teen suicide awareness and support services have been on the upswing in the county as teachers, administrators, students and parents discuss the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why."

"Teen suicide is a very serious matter," Powers said. "Parents should be aware that with recent public awareness and discussions about teen suicide, conversations may occur that require attention and appropriate intervention."

Powers did not say whether the students involved in hanging the noose would be disciplined.