Student Dies After Fourth-Floor Fall at Los Angeles High School

A student at Benjamin Franklin High School in Los Angeles died Wednesday after falling from a fourth-floor balcony, according to witnesses.

Los Angeles School Police responded to the campus shortly after 1 p.m. following reports of the incident. Students described hearing a "big thump" and later learned the school had been placed on lockdown. A white tent was set up on the campus quad where the student landed. The incident was initially described by authorities as a "medical emergency."

Witnesses indicated the student fell after an altercation with another student. "The altercation occurred with the student and another student, which after that happened the student ran, of course and then fell," said Welly Eng, who stated the student fell from the fourth floor.

Students remained under lockdown for nearly three hours while the investigation proceeded. The name of the deceased student has not been released by police.

By Wednesday evening, a memorial with flowers had formed outside the school gates as students gathered to remember their classmate. A parent, Jessica Gomez, expressed her distress and urged parents to address bullying. "If you know your kid is bullying somebody, even if it's as a joke, stop them there before it gets worse," she said.

Police have not released further details regarding the incident.