Investigation underway after student dies in fall from balcony at Highland Park high school
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Authorities were investigating the death of a student Wednesday at a Highland Park high school.
The minor fell from a balcony at Benjamin Franklin High School, police said. The circumstances surrounding the fall were unclear. Officials identified the victim only as a male juvenile.
The incident took place at around 1 p.m. at the school in the 800 block of North Avenue 54, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson. Few details were immediately available about why he fell, but there is “no evidence of foul play,” LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes said. The department is leading the investigation.
Students who spoke with KTLA-TV said a fight in a classroom preceded the fatal fall.
The Los Angeles Fire Department transported the minor to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Los Angeles School Police also responded to the incident.
Marine Davtyan, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman, told City News Service the medical emergency required the school to be placed on lockdown.
Former Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, whose district included Highland Park, posted on social media late Wednesday her “deepest condolences to the family and friends of the young student who lost his life at Franklin High School today. The investigation is ongoing. ... Please remember that the student and those involved are minors and they need our love and support at this time.”
As videos of the incident circulated online, Carrillo urged, “Please do not share or repost graphic videos of this tragedy.”
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