A student died Wednesday after falling from a fourth-floor building at Benjamin Franklin High School in Los Angeles, police said.
The boy’s fatal plunge was reported around 1 p.m. At the Highland Park campus, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities have not released his name or age, identifying him only as male.
LAPD officials stated there is no evidence of foul play surrounding the incident, though the circumstances remain under investigation. The department declined to provide additional details about what preceded the fall.
KTLA helicopter footage captured the scene approximately two hours after the incident, around 3 p.m. Video showed a single shoe on the ground beneath a taped-off area near the building. A canopy was later erected at the site.
The campus was placed on lockdown following the fall and will remain restricted until law enforcement clears the scene, officials said.
Benjamin Franklin High School, located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, serves students in grades 6 through 12. The campus is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The incident drew emergency response to the school midday Wednesday as authorities worked to secure the area and investigate the circumstances of the boy’s death. Police have not indicated whether any witnesses have been interviewed or what factors may have contributed to the fall.
The lockdown procedure kept students and staff contained while law enforcement processed the scene. District officials have not yet issued a statement about counseling services or support being offered to students and faculty affected by the death.
This marks the second high-profile student death in the Los Angeles area this week to draw significant media attention, as communities across Southern California continue grappling with student safety concerns.
The LAPD investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not specified when additional information about the incident or the student’s identity may be released.
