On Monday afternoon, Mountlake Terrace High School was informed that former student, TJ Hodson, had died from a drug overdose. On June 9, TJ overdosed and had been in intensive care in a coma for 6 days before dying over the weekend.

On Tuesday, June 15, Mountlake Terrace High School principal Greg Schwab sent a letter out to students and their families explaining that TJ had died. TJ’s family felt it was important to share the cause of their son’s death in the hopes it would help support students as well as other adolescents who are struggling with substance abuse issues. The school had counselors available to any grieving students throughout the day. You can read the full text of the principal’s letter here.

TJ has a sister in the 10th grade at MTHS and in addition to attending MTHS, TJ also attended Brier Terrace Middle School and Terrace Park K-8.