Downey school holds memorial assembly to help students cope with grief

DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Lakers jerseys, hugs and tears. This was the emotional scene at a memorial assembly at Warren High School in Downey following the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.

The goal of the assembly was to help students cope with grief after not only the tragedy involving Bryant, but also the death of school staff members. Since the beginning of the school year, a school custodian and a baseball coach have passed away. A school teacher also lost a spouse, and three other teachers lost a parent.

Capt. David Katz with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Team, one of the first responders on scene the day of the helicopter crash, spoke to the students.

"I hope that by having me here gives them some connection to the incident itself," he said.