Parents of an eight-year-old girl have released surveillance video of her final moments, captured in the cafeteria of Velma Penny Elementary School in Lindale, Texas, as they question the response to her choking incident on April 15. The footage shows Adrian Thompson rising from her lunch table around 11:40 a.m., coughing and holding her hands to her throat.
Adrian is then seen approaching an adult employee, tapping her on the arm. According to a Texas Rangers report, the employee initially believed Adrian was ill and guided her toward a trash can, asking if she wanted to go to the restroom, to which Adrian nodded. The report states the employee then directed Adrian out of the cafeteria.
The surveillance footage shows Adrian returning to the cafeteria approximately 13 seconds later, visibly distressed and waving her arms. The same employee appears to guide her toward the exit again, with the adult following behind as Adrian leaves the cafeteria.
Further footage shows Adrian sprinting down a school corridor towards the nurse's office. The Texas Rangers report indicates that Adrian approached the nurse, 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. CPR was initiated by the nurse.
Medics were observed performing chest compressions on Adrian as she was transported out of the building in a wheelchair at 11:55 a.m., according to video from the school entrance. She was subsequently rushed to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, where she passed away in the early hours of April 16.
Texas Rangers had previously cleared Velma Penny staff of wrongdoing, and no charges were filed in connection with the incident. Adrian's parents have initiated a fundraiser to cover medical expenses related to her emergency care.
