A middle schooler who attended Sidwell Friends in D.C. was killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, according to a report.
NBC Washington reports that Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa was among the 290 people killed and 500 wounded after terrorists targeted nine churches, luxury hotels, and other sites. He was on leave of absence from Sidwell to live and study in Sri Lanka, and was supposed to return for the coming school year.
Sidwell Friends is a highly selective Quaker school in D.C. that has educated some of the most prominent children in the District, including Malia and Sasha Obama.
In a letter to families shared by WJLA, the school called it an “unexpected tragedy for his family and for his greater community.”
“We plan to speak to the fifth grade tomorrow, but we wanted to give you the opportunity to speak with your child(ren) at home,” the letter reads. “We would prefer that students hear from an adult, if possible, so we suggest that you speak with your children before school tomorrow. We will meet as a grade right after silence, and we also know that students may be communicating with each other in other ways before then.”
The bombings caused massive damage to the buildings, blowing out windows and collapsing ceilings, and leaving behind dozens of bodies of those who were worshiping during Easter Sunday.
Several Americans were among the dead in the blasts, the deadliest violence the South Asian island country has seen since a bloody civil war ended a decade ago, according to AP. Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena described the bombings as a terrorist attack by religious extremists and that most of the blasts were believed to have been suicide attacks.
The explosions rocked three churches and three hotels, collapsing ceilings and blowing out windows and killing hotel guests and worshipers. President Donald J. Trump on Sunday reacted to early reports of the bombings, saying on Twitter, “The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!”
Additional reporting by Shannon Antinori/Patch
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