2 Burlington Township High School students mourned

Students and staff at Burlington Township High School are mourning the loss of two athletes who officials say took their own lives this past week.

Burlington High School (6 ABC)

"Needless to say the past few days have been painful for our entire community," reads a post linked to the Burlington Township School District Facebook page. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been touched by the sudden death of two of our high school students."

According to the message, students and staff met Tuesday morning and counseling was made available from the Burlington County Crisis Response Team and the Traumatic Loss Coalition (T.L.C.) for Youth. A meeting for the community was held Tuesday night at the high school.

The students, who were close friends according to Times of Trenton, are identified by the newspaper as a freshman on the football team who took his life Jan. 1 and a senior wrestler who ended his own life Monday night.

The two were also students at Jiu Jitsu Academy in Edgewater Park, according to NBC Philadelphia. "It has been shocking news for us that two of our students, one who was 15 and another who was 18, have committed suicide," JBM Gym Director Victor Lopez said in an email to the station. "Both of them were a part of our Jiu Jitsu Academy that we treated as extended family..."

A funeral has already been held for the freshman; the senior's funeral is scheduled for Friday according to the Courier-Post.