The parents of an 8-year-old girl who choked to death at her Texas elementary school have released harrowing video footage showing her attempts to get help, as they demand accountability from the school.
Adrian Thompson began choking during lunch at Velma Penny Elementary School in Lindale on April 15. Video released this week shows her waving her arms and gesturing for assistance before she ran to the nurse's office, where she turned blue and collapsed. Her parents released the footage after investigators ruled the death an accident with no criminal offense, a conclusion they feel overlooks the school's alleged failings.
"If the camera footage that we were shown showed that once Adrian began choking and she got up for help and she went to the adult in charge and that they started all helping right away … I would still be devastated that Adrian passed away," said grieving mother Anna Thompson. "But that’s not what the camera footage shows. So, this is where we feel like people need to know about this."
The video captures Adrian standing from her lunch table around 11:40 a.m., then beginning to heave and cough into a napkin. She is seen holding her hands near her throat as she walks through the cafeteria, exhibiting clear signs of distress.
"Adrian’s demeanor and actions appear to be those of someone coughing or choking," the Texas Rangers noted in their report. The surveillance footage shows Adrian approaching a supervising woman and gesturing toward her mouth. According to the police report, the employee apparently misunderstood, believing Adrian needed to vomit, and walked her toward a trash can.
The staffer asked Adrian if she wanted to go to the restroom, and Adrian nodded. She is then seen running back into the cafeteria seconds later, waving her arms at the same employee before rushing out again and then sprinting toward the nurse's office.
The nurse told police that Adrian was "pointing to her mouth and trying to speak" before she began to turn "blue in the face." The nurse immediately initiated the Heimlich maneuver, but Adrian collapsed. The nurse then utilized an anti-choking device and began CPR when she could not detect a pulse.
The school principal contacted 911 at 11:45 a.m., approximately five minutes after Adrian first showed signs of choking. Emergency responders arrived at the school shortly after. Security cameras documented responders rushing Adrian out of the school on a gurney, continuing chest compressions, before loading her into an ambulance at 11:55 a.m.
Adrian was transported to a local hospital and later transferred to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, where she died the following day. Medical experts state that within the first three minutes of a choking incident, victims can experience restricted breathing, panic, and potential loss of consciousness. Brain damage can begin at four minutes, and cardiac arrest or death can occur within six minutes or more.
The Texas Rangers' investigation concluded that no criminal offense was committed, and the medical examiner classified Adrian's death as accidental due to choking.
Lindale Independent School District Superintendent Stan Surratt stated that the school has since updated its safety procedures, provided additional staff training, and implemented new policies aimed at preventing similar tragedies. "We recognize that no amount of preparation can eliminate every emergency. However, we remain committed to continuously evaluating our practices, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring our staff members have the resources, training, and support they need to respond when emergencies arise," Surratt said.