McAllen High School mourned the death of freshman Leah Gonzalez with a balloon release on the softball field Monday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the district said grief counselors were at the campus Monday but didn’t release any additional information as of press time.
It’s unclear how Gonzalez died or her age.
A GoFundMe fundraiser started Sunday to raise money for Gonzalez’s funeral expenses garnered over 100 individual donations amounting to a little more than $10,000 by Monday evening.
Albert Canales, McHi’s principal, took to social media to promote that fundraiser.
“Today we are very heart broken to hear of the loss of one of our McHi students,” his statement read. “Our hearts go out to her family, friends, teachers and our McHi community.”
A statement on the McHi Yearbook and Newspaper Facebook page also shared the fundraiser, along with photos of Monday’s balloon release.
“It is with utter sadness that we let you know that one of our Bulldogs has left us,” it read. “Our hearts mourn the loss of Leah Elizabeth Gonzalez. We ask that you keep her family, friends and teachers in your hearts.”
Leah was a member of the McHi Class of 2025 and a twin, it added.
“We especially pray for her twin brother Leo in this difficult time. We know the Bulldog Nation will surround us as we again struggle to find solid ground in the wake of loss,” the statement said.
One person struggling in the wake of that loss Monday was Veronica Ayala, who taught Gonzalez and her brother when they were in fifth grade in 2018.
Ayala and Gonzalez would frequently talk after school about friends and family and school.
“She had a bright future just because she had a zest for life,” Ayala said. “She liked people. She was just happy, she had a great attitude about everything.”
Ayala said she last saw her former student at McHi a few weeks ago. Gonzalez, Ayala said, will be sorely missed.
“She was kind and considerate,” she said. “Very well liked by her peers. She had a very bright future ahead of her and I’ll never forget her.”
