A student at Benjamin Franklin High School in Los Angeles died Wednesday after a video circulating online appeared to show an altercation with other student before he ran from the classroom and jumped from a fourth-floor railing.
Los Angeles police and school officials responded shortly before 1 p.m. after the student fell from the fourth floor into the school’s quad in Highland Park. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Videos circulating online appear to show the student involved in an altercation inside a classroom with another student. A teacher can be seen trying to intervene as the students fight, with the student who later died knocked to the ground before crawling out of the classroom.
The student was later seen running away from other students before going over a fourth-floor railing, according to witness accounts and videos circulating online.
One student who witnessed the fall told KTLA that she believed it appeared intentional. Authorities have not publicly determined what led to the fall or whether bullying played a role.
Los Angeles School Police Department described the incident as a medical emergency, and the campus was placed on lockdown for several hours while authorities investigated. Students and staff remained on campus during the response.
Students returned to class Thursday as a memorial began growing outside the school, with people leaving flowers and lighting candles for the student. A faculty meeting was also held that morning.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez also mourned the student’s death and said her office would support students, families and the broader school community.
She also said, “We ask that his loved ones be given the care, dignity, and privacy they deserve during this incredibly difficult time.’
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the death. The student has not been publicly identified, and authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the fall.
🇺🇸 洛杉磯 Benjamin Franklin High School 學校霸凌事件
— McKensit II (@McKensitII) October 1, 2026
一名男生週三從校舍四樓墜落，送醫後不治 https://t.co/4UAOHe6JKH