Parents of an eight-year-old girl who died after choking at school have released surveillance footage of the incident, seeking answers about the response from school staff. The video, recorded on April 15 at Velma Penny Elementary School in Lindale, Texas, shows Adrian Thompson experiencing difficulty breathing during lunch.
In the footage, Adrian is seen rising from her table at 11:40 a.m., coughing into a napkin with her hands near her throat. She then approaches an employee and taps her on the arm. According to a Texas Rangers report, the employee believed Adrian was ill and directed her toward a trash can, asking if she wanted to go to the restroom. Adrian indicated she did, and the staff member reportedly guided her out of the cafeteria.
The surveillance video shows Adrian returning to the cafeteria approximately 13 seconds later, visibly distressed and gesturing for help. The same employee appears to usher her toward the exit, and follows as Adrian leaves again. Corridor footage captures Adrian running to the nurse's office. The Texas Rangers report states that Adrian approached the nurse while pointing to her mouth and attempting to speak, before she began to turn blue.
The nurse reportedly administered the Heimlich maneuver, after which Adrian collapsed. The nurse then checked for a pulse and began CPR. No surveillance footage exists from inside the nurse's office.
Later, medics were seen performing chest compressions on Adrian as she was taken out of the building in a wheelchair at 11:55 a.m. She was transported to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, where she died in the early hours of April 16.
Texas Rangers had previously cleared Velma Penny staff of wrongdoing, and no charges were filed. Adrian's parents have expressed their grief and initiated a fundraiser to cover medical expenses related to her emergency care, including a life flight.
"Our daughter, Adrian, passed away on 4/15," the parents wrote on the fundraising page. "She was eight years old. We are heartbroken. She was loved beyond words, and our lives will never be the same."