Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play as investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the fourth-floor fall.
LOS ANGELES — A student at Benjamin Franklin High School died Wednesday after falling from the fourth floor of a campus building, prompting a police investigation and a nearly three-hour lockdown at the Highland Park school.
The fall was reported at about 1 p.m. Sept. 30 at the school in the 800 block of North Avenue 54. Los Angeles police described the student as a male juvenile but had not released his name or exact age as of Thursday morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Los Angeles Police Department is leading a death investigation and has said there was no evidence of foul play. Authorities had not announced any arrests or charges, and officials had not publicly determined what caused the student to go over the fourth-floor railing.
Students who spoke with local news organizations said an altercation inside a classroom happened before the fall. Video obtained by FOX 11 appeared to show two students fighting in a fourth-floor classroom while a teacher tried to stop them. Additional footage reportedly showed students moving into a hallway before the fatal fall. Police have not publicly confirmed a motive for the altercation or released a complete account of what happened.
The Los Angeles Times reported that students also described a classroom fight before the incident. Police Officer Rosario Cervantes told the newspaper there was no evidence of foul play. Investigators were reviewing the circumstances surrounding the fall as witnesses and video offered additional information about the moments beforehand.
The campus was placed on lockdown while police, Los Angeles School Police and other emergency personnel responded. Los Angeles Unified School District officials said the medical emergency required gates and doors across the campus to be locked until law enforcement determined the school could reopen. Students were later allowed to leave, with television footage showing families gathering near the school.
Principal Marine Davtyan told the school community that privacy and confidentiality rules limited what officials could disclose about the student and the incident. District officials said the safety and emotional well-being of students and staff remained a priority as the investigation continued.
The student’s death also prompted concerns about video from the incident circulating online. Former state Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, who previously represented the area, offered condolences to the student’s family and friends and urged people not to share graphic footage. The student and others involved in the incident are minors, she noted.
Authorities had not released the student’s identity Thursday morning. Police also had not announced criminal charges or publicly established why the classroom confrontation began. The death investigation remained active as officers continued examining witness accounts and available video.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 1, 2026.