EL PASO, Texas — A high school student died Sunday, two days after he collapsed during a school football game in Texas, according to multiple reports.
A spokesperson for University Medical Center in El Paso confirmed that Bowie High School student and band member Daniel Esparza died after suffering a medical emergency during a game between Bowie and Ysleta High School, KTSM-TV reported.
“Please say a prayer for his family and all those who loved him,” hospital officials said in a statement obtained by the news station.
Esparza collapsed toward the end of Friday’s football game, the El Paso Times reported. According to a GoFundMe campaign started to help his family pay for medical expenses, the 17-year-old lost consciousness while performing as part of Bowie High School’s band, prompting a medical team to perform CPR on him.
School district officials described Esparza as “a beloved member of the school community” in a statement obtained by KVIA-TV.
“He was a dutiful member of the Bowie band, mariachi group and JROTC who relished his role as a leader,” the statement read. “El Paso ISD stands with Daniel’s family and with the entirety of Bowie High School as they gather the strength to deal with this trying time.”
It was not immediately clear what caused Esparza to collapse on Friday.
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