CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A 14-year-old girl died Thursday morning at Gold’s Gym on Hopkins Road in Chesterfield, according to Chesterfield Police. An investigation into her death was on-going, but police said there were no initial signs of foul play.
Officers responded to the gym at about 5:10 a.m. Thursday for a report of a possible cardiac arrest.
"Upon arrival, officers located a 14-year-old female who was unresponsive," a Chesterfield Police spokesperson said. "Rescue personnel arrived and the female was pronounced deceased at the scene."
"It's insane, you never think it's going to happen at your gym because a lot of people here do practice precaution," said Johnny Aviles. "The staff members do always take care of everything that's going on. Everything's always clean, it's not very messy so it's just crazy that it happened here."
Police have not released the child's name.
The teen was a student a Meadowbrook High School earlier this school year, according to school principal Joi Alexander-Lowery M.Ed.
She also shared a message to Meadowbrook families Thursday:
"We’re sad to share that we’ve learned of the death of a ninth-grade student who attended Meadowbrook High School earlier this school year. The student, *name redacted*, had not been with us for several months; however, we extend our thoughts and prayers to them at this time. This information was not shared with students at school today, but we do plan to have a brief moment of silence during morning announcements on Friday. Please prepare your child with this news this evening and let us know in the morning if your child has any concerns. While we are confident that our students will take this news bravely, we can expect probing questions about illness and death in the coming days. Sensitivity to your child’s reaction to this difficult situation is critical. The school’s student support staff has materials available to help parents discuss grief and the associated reactions. We encourage our parents and community to continue to provide support to our students in the coming days. Meadowbrook High School will continue to support its students, staff, and community. If we can be of additional help to you or your student, please let us know."
Golds Gym sent CBS 6 a statement Thursday:
“We are devastated by the tragic death of a teenager at our Chesterfield gym this morning, and the local gym team is doing all they can to assist police in their investigation. Our hearts go out to her family and friends during this difficult time.” – Gold’s Gym Meadowbrook
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