JERSEY CITY -- A man shot and killed himself outside St. Aloysius Elementary Academy on West Side Avenue, authorities said.

The victim, believed to be in his 50s, was found dead at about 6 a.m. on the Kensington Avenue side of the building, police said.

Several investigators, including the state's Northern Regional Medical Examiner, remained outside the building at about 8:30 a.m. after the children had already arrived to begin their school day.

Officials from the school could not immediately comment on how the investigation has affected students because they were "too busy with everything going on."

According to the school's website, the students were supposed to attend Ash Wednesday services at 8:30 a.m. at St. Aloysius church, directly across the street from the West Side Avenue school.

Students, instead, remained inside the school building so they would not walk by as authorities continued their investigation. Shortly after 9 a.m., two priests carrying ashes entered the side entrance of the school.

The victim's body was found alongside a gate in front of two doors that appear to lead to a storage room in back left corner of the building. A medical examiner's white tent was still erected outside the doors as of 8:30 a.m.

St. Aloysius Elementary Academy is attended by children in pre-K through eighth grade.

Additional information on the incident was not immediately available.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.