LANSING | Counselors met with Thornton Fractional South students Tuesday after an 81-year-old man shot and killed himself near a primary school playground the night before.

Freshman baseball players at Thornton Fractional South High School -- which stands a few hundred yards from the Lester Crawl Primary Center at 18300 Green bay Ave. -- were finishing practice when the shooting happened, Principal John Hallberg said. The sophomore baseball team was finishing a game, he said.

The counselors met with students individually, and Hallberg asked parents to talk with their children further if needed.

"We are just checking on freshman kids and making sure they are OK and offering whatever support we can," he said. "(Students) seem to be doing fine, and we followed up with parents to make sure they keep an eye on them.

"If (parents) notice any drastic change in their child's behavior, or children not sleeping well at night (who are) very anxious, contact our guidance office immediately."

The man lived in Lansing and had been terminally ill for sometime, an official said. He was taken to Munster's Community Hospital were he was pronounced dead at 7:40 p.m. from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Many parents waiting to pick up their children Monday night were aware of the situation, but the school also called parents to make sure they knew, Hallberg said. Coaches led players into the school after the shooting, and players immediately were released to parents, he said.

"Most heard the gunshot," Hallberg said. "To what degree, they saw it, I'm not sure. It was pretty far away, but they seem to be adjusting OK and handling it pretty well."

No students were inside Lester Crawl Primary Center during the shooting, Lansing School District 158 Superintendent Veronda Cottle said.