A princess for the 2012 Daffodil Festival in Pierce County was found
dead Wednesday in Puyallup of what authorities say was an apparent
suicide.

The young woman was identified as 18-year old Alexandria Tyler Cole who attended Chief Leschi High School.

She
was a member of the Quinalt nation. A Puyallup Tribal Police
spokesperson said early indications were Ms. Cole apparently shot
herself with a small caliber handgun. However the death is being
investigated by the FBI, as well as tribal police and the Pierce County
Medical Examiner's office because it occurred on Puyallup tribal land.

The annual Daffodil Parade is scheduled for Saturday and festival organizers say it will go on as planned.

A
memorial comment on the festival's website noted that Ms. Cole, who had
a "contagious smile and warm personality loved spending time with
children at libraries and a had a heart for community service."

Experts
say the reasons behind a teen's suicide or attempted suicide can be
complex and that although suicide is relatively rare among children, the
rate of suicides and suicide attempts increases tremendously during
adolescence.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15-
to 24-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), after accidents and homicide.

The risk of
suicide increases when kids and teens have access to firearms at home.
Statistics show that nearly 60% of all suicides in the United States are
committed with a gun. Firearms in the home should be unloaded, locked,
and kept out of the reach of children and teens.