Coeur d’Alene High School principal Troy Schueller died Wednesday afternoon of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to a statement from the school district, Schueller, 42, was found at his residence before being transported to Kootenai Health. He died around 2 p.m.

“Words cannot express the sadness that I feel and that is shared by our school board, our staff and our community by this loss,” Superintendent Stan Olson said. “This is a young man that was respected and appreciated by not only our students and staff but by anyone who knew him.”

Classes at CHS were not in session Thursday, and district crisis assis-tance team were at the high school for those who wanted to talk.

“Troy truly, deeply cared about everybody,” said Trina Caudle, director of secondary education. “As principal at Coeur d’Alene High, his top priority was to improve the culture of the school and make sure all students and staff knew they were cared for.”

Schueller was in his second year as principal of CHS. Prior to that, he served as an assistant principal at Coeur d’Alene High for eight years.

Todd Gilkey, the athletic director at St. Maries High School, described Schueller as “an amazing man” whose impact will be missed.

“What made Troy amazing was how much he cared about kids and people,” Gilkey said. “Everything he did was kid-centered.”

Gilkey first got to know Schueller as a student teacher at St. Maries High School when Schueller was a senior there. The two went on to work together at CHS years later.

“Troy and I had a unique relationship, and this is a traumatic loss for all of us,” Gilkey said. “Every life that Troy touched he was a positive influence on.”

Schueller received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Lewis-Clark State College in 1997 and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Idaho in 2003.

Prior to his roles of principal and assistant principal at CHS, Schueller served as the athletic director, assistant principal, principal, and wrestling coach at Kellogg High School.

Schueller was a native North Idahoan who served the area his whole adult life, and in that 2017 interview with The Press, he expressed his appreciation for his community.

“I love the people,” he said. “I love North Idaho. I love the town, and love it all.”

He is survived by his wife, Saprina, who teaches English at Canfield Middle School; two children, Ashley and Hunter; and a grandchild, Rayah.