WATKINS, Kori Leslie

Wickenburg Sun (Wickenburg, Arizona) Wednesday, March 30, 1994, p. A-2 Local student commits suicide after chase Kori Watkins, a senior at Wickenburg High School, shot and killed himself near Flagstaff Monday night after being pursued by Coconino County Sheriff's Department officers. Watkins, who had moved to Wickenburg from Ohio in January of this year and began attending Wickenburg High the first week of January, had last attended classes here Monday morning, according to Wickenburg High Principal O. K. Fulton. The 17-year-old student reportedly had left a note at the high school before leaving--indicating he might be leaving the area. He had been living with his sister and brother-in-law in Wickenburg, Fulton said. After the note was reported, an all-points bulletin was dispatched throughout the state, the high school principal noted. He said Coconino County deputies located Watkins driving his vehicle, which had Ohio license plates, and started pursuing the student. Just before he reached the Grand Canyon, his vehicle ran out of gas, according to the sheriff's department reports. Watkins then reportedly rolled up the windows while deputies attempted to talk him out of his vehicle for about three hours. Instead of surrendering, he reportedly shot himself in the head. "He had been in to see me a few times," noted Fulton. "He was lining up his life and had planned to go into the health field. I couldn't have been more shocked when I heard the news," the principal added. Fulton said he announced the news to the students Tuesday morning and arranged counseling for the students who had closely associated with Watkins during the three months he attended school at the Wickenburg campus. Fulton said he was told Watkins' mother had been in a coma in a nursing home for a few years after being involved in a traffic accident. The principal added that he wasn't aware the 17-year-old senior had been facing problems at home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Also see: News Journal (Mansfield, Ohio), Wednesday, March 30, 1994, p. 9, "Ohio teen leads Arizona police on chase..."