Key Takeaways:
- Elijah Jordan Brown-Garcia, a 12-year-old student, died during a light football practice in Newark.
- Elijah collapsed on the West Side Park football field and did not receive life-saving medical procedure to resuscitate him, despite laying on the ground for 40 minutes.
- The cause of death is yet to be determined, but the family is seeking answers.
Written by Steve Cannon for USSA News.
On the evening of Friday, February 10, Elijah Jordan Brown-Garcia, a 6th grade Rise Academy Charter School student, collapsed and died during a preseason football workout inside an Essex County Park. Elijah participated in light football practice and conditioning drills moments before he collapsed on the West Side Park football field. While many are still searching for answers, his family is grieving the loss of a happy, bubbly boy who loved life and dancing.
Tragedy Strikes During Preseason Football Practice
According to Elijah’s mother, Raven Brown, he was not tackled or struck during the practice session. However, Elijah laid on the ground for about 40 minutes without receiving the life-saving medical procedure to resuscitate him. The quick-thinking of Elijah’s younger brother, Mekhi, alerted Raven Brown and the team of his brother’s unconscious state. However, the head coach was not on the field and had “stepped away,” leaving about 12 players with a couple of parents. Brown said that the medical units arrived over 25 minutes after she called them.
Community and Family Grieve
Brown said the State Regional Medical Examiners’ office would conduct an autopsy this week to determine the official cause of Elijah’s death. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has not announced involvement in the incident at this time. Rise Academy was closed on Monday to allow staff to process and prepare for kids. On Tuesday, Elijah’s 6th-grade classmates received the formal announcement in an assembly space. A representative from Image, a center for coping with loss, arrived to help lead a circle with those who wanted to share their feelings.