13-year-old Fort Worth boy dies in football practice after ‘medical emergency’

A 13-year-old boy died during football practice Wednesday evening at Summer Creek Middle School, according to the Crowley school district superintendent and the Tarrant County medical examiner.

Kyrell McBride-Johnson, an eighth-grader, experienced a medical emergency during practice that left him unresponsive, according to a letter sent to parents from superintendent Michael McFarland.

“Everybody is in disbelief,” Monica McBride-Debbs, Kryell’s mother, told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. “It just hasn’t set in yet because Kyrell was a healthy boy.”

It was the second day of classes at the school, said Anthony Kirchner, district spokesman.

Kyrell attended the Mansfield school district last school year, Kirchner said.

“It’s a hard day for us,” said Kirchner, who said his focus Thursday morning was getting grief counselors in place at the school at 10236 Summer Creek Drive to help students, parents and staff.

Kyrell was treated by paramedics, and coaches performed CPR, McFarland said. He was transported to Texas Health Methodist Hospital Southwest and then to Cook Children’s Medical Center.

He was pronounced dead shortly before 7:30 p.m., according to the medical examiner, which had not yet listed a cause of death.

Kirchner said the district did not wish to comment on a possible cause of death, or speculate as to whether heat played a factor, and would wait for the medical examiner’s ruling.

“The entire Crowley ISD community is incredibly saddened by this tragedy and the loss of this young life. We do not yet know what caused Kyrell’s passing, but our priority right now is to provide support and care to the family, friends and educators who knew and loved him,” McFarland said.

Kyrell’s mother told WFAA: “I really want answers, I really want to know what happened to him. Even if it was some kind of underlying medical problem behind the scenes that nobody knew, I can get my other kids checked out.”

Kyrell had siblings who attend Dallas Park Elementary School and Sue Crouch Intermediate School, McFarland said.

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 6:12 AM with the headline "13-year-old Fort Worth boy dies in football practice after ‘medical emergency’."