On a Tuesday morning in Laughlin, Nevada, the school day began like any other for 17-year-old Anthony Stearns. The Laughlin High School senior attended his first-period class on May 23, 2017. He was last seen at approximately 8:30 a.m. after a teacher handed out an exam. Anthony answered a single question before turning in his test and walking out of the classroom. He then left the school grounds and did not return home.
As the day wore on without any sign of Anthony, concern grew.
By 4 p.m., a school employee, in the presence of the teen's parents, filed a missing person report with the Metropolitan Police Department. Law enforcement officials were alerted, and Anthony was classified as an endangered person. The search for the young man continued into the evening hours.
Later that evening, around 7:30 p.m., a guest at Harrah's Laughlin hotel-casino noticed a person lying on the ground in a nearby parking lot and promptly alerted security. The individual was identified as Anthony Stearns. Tragically, he was found to have sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The Clark County coroner's office later confirmed that the cause of death was suicide.
The investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department concluded that there was no foul play involved in Anthony's death. As the death was determined to be a suicide, there were no suspects or arrests made in connection with the case. The news deeply affected the Laughlin High School community, where Anthony was remembered as a member of the track and field team and had been voted homecoming prince. In the days that followed, grief counselors were made available to support students and staff.
