The Investigation into the Death of Los Osos High School Student Emily Gold
The Rancho Cucamonga community is grappling with profound grief following the tragic death of Emily Gold, a 17-year-old Los Osos High School student. Her death, coupled with the recent loss of another student from the same school, has deeply shaken the community.
The Circumstances of Emily Gold's Death
Emily Gold died Friday, Sept. 13, on the 210 Freeway near the Haven Avenue overpass in Rancho Cucamonga, according to the San Bernardino County coroner. According to the California Highway Patrol, officers were called out to reports of a "pedestrian down in lanes" on the 210 Freeway on Sept. 13. That person was struck by at least one vehicle within the HOV eastbound lane of the freeway, the CHP said. The victim died at the scene. Her death is being treated as a suicide, according to USA TODAY, and additional details on her death are being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.
A Community Mourns
A makeshift memorial for Los Osos High School student Emily Gold grows as it sits on the Haven Avenue overpass of the eastbound 210 Freeway in Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. Community members attended vigils in Gold’s honor Saturday and Sunday night. The Grizzlies’ football game Thursday will honor Gold as well. The outpouring of love and support we are receiving shows us how many lives that angel touched and lifted up, and it is what will help us through the most difficult time of our lives,” he continued.
Emily Gold: A Life Full of Talent and Promise
Gold was a member of the Los Osos dance troupe also appeared this summer on America’s Got Talent. Gold was a member of Los Osos' varsity dance team, which competed in the quarterfinals of "America's Got Talent" in August. The team did not advance to the final round, but judge Simon Cowell called their performance "brilliant" and "full of energy," likening it to the "High School Musical" movie.
“It is with such a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beautiful, kind, and loving Emily Gold, Senior and Varsity Dance Captain,” read a social media post by the Los Osos High School Varsity Dance Team. “Emily has always embodied every aspect of our core team values through her strength, commitment, kindness, compassion, and the most humble heart. She will be remembered as a leader, role model, friend, and sister to her teammates.”
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The Los Osos High School dance team auditioned on season 19 of the popular NBC show “American’s Got Talent” in an episode that aired in May. The team danced to a mash-up of “OMG” and “Yeah!” by Usher. Judge Simon Cowell described the performance as “brilliant.”“What I loved about this was, first of all the energy, and I think what I just saw is everything a great school should be doing, which is encouraging talent, friendship,” he said.The team continued to the quarterfinals and received a roar of applause for their performance to “Fergalicious,” “Pump It” and “Whoomp! (There It Is).”
After her death, Gold was remembered by her dance team in an Instagram tribute as a "leader, role model, friend, and sister to her teammates."A parent commented on the post, "My son describes her as always happy with the biggest smile and laugh. A girl that everyone loved.
School District Response and Support
In a statement to the community on Thursday, the Chaffey Joint Union High School District announced that a student at Los Osos High School had died. "We can’t begin to express the depth of our grief over the heartbreaking loss of another student from Los Osos High School," Superintendent Matthew Holton said. "Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and everyone impacted by this tragedy."
“The Chaffey Joint Union High School District community is heartbroken by the tragic death of Los Osos High School Senior Emily Gold."Emily was a cherished member of the Los Osos High School campus and was beloved by her fellow students and teachers," superintendent Mat Holton, Ed.D., said in the statement shared with ABC News.
“The district and school are providing on-site grief counselors and therapists to any student who might need support during this difficult time,” he added. "Our deepest condolences go to the families and friends of both students lost in recent weeks," Holton said in Thursday's statement. "We stand united in supporting our community through this difficult time."
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Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention
The death of a 17-year-old who appeared on "America's Got Talent" with her high school dance team has sparked a conversation on teens and mental health.Gold's death sparked a conversation on social media about mental health and suicide."We just never know what someone is going through or struggling with," one commenter wrote on the Los Osos High School dance team's Instagram post honoring Gold."I didnt [sic] even know her but just going to the same school just hits me so hard and i feel the grief too," wrote another.
The county Department of Behavioral Health Office of Suicide Prevention is hosting a monthlong series of free community trainings, the county announced in a news release earlier this month. The three-hour training, SafeTALK, teaches participants how to recognize and support a person with thoughts of suicide. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Flipside Church in Rancho Cucamonga.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in 2021 to warn of a growing mental health crisis among young people.Last year, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of high school female students seriously considering suicide jumped from 24% in 2019 to 30% in 2021, the most recent data available.Common risk factors for suicide include a history of depression and other mental illness, bullying, loss of relationships, and social isolation, according to the CDC.
What Parents and Caregivers Can Do
Experts say universally the most important steps parents and caregivers can take to help their kids' mental health are to have open conversations with kids about mental health, to observe changes in behavior and to seek professional help when needed."Despite the fact that people say teenagers don't want to talk to their parents, they actually do. Maybe they don't want to listen to what they have to say, and may not do what they say, but they want to know that their parents are interested and concerned," Dr. Tami Benton, psychiatrist-in-chief at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told ABC News last year. "The key to us getting through this is going to be family -- the caregiver, the neighbor who takes care of you, whoever it is."And specifically when it comes to suicide, hearing or talking about suicide in age-appropriate ways isn't inherently dangerous for kids.The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has guides available for talking to children about suicide at various ages.
When it comes to changes in behavior, the AFSP urges parents and caregivers to trust their instincts in observing different patterns in their kids and seeking help as needed.Behavior changes may include anything from aggression and fatigue to isolating from friends and family, withdrawing from activities, changes in sleep and talk of feeling trapped or hopeless, according to the AFSP.Experts say a child's pediatrician, school officials and mental health practitioners are all good resources for parents and caregivers to talk to about mental health."You know your child better than anybody else, so if you see a change in their behaviors and their functioning and how they're doing in school or with peers or with you, talk to somebody to see, 'Should I be concerned?'" Robin Gurwitch, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, previously told "GMA." "Children don't come with a manual, so it's unfair [for parents] to think, 'I know what to do.'"
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Resources for Support
This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Previous Incident at Los Osos High School
In late August 2021, a Los Osos High School staff member - Assistant Varsity Football Coach and boys’ locker room attendant, David Riden - was arrested and criminally charged after authorities say he placed a hidden camera inside a girl’s bathroom on campus.The hidden camera was discovered by another staff member, who immediately notified the authorities. According to police, Riden has been employed by the Los Osos High School since 2015 and served as an assistant football coach and boys locker room attendant. Los Osos High School is in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District.
“The Chaffey Joint Union High School District and Los Osos High School are deeply concerned about this disturbing incident and will not tolerate actions that infringe on the privacy of others. We immediately reported the incident to police after the camera device was discovered by a Los Osos staff member and are cooperating fully with their investigation. It was through a review of the school’s perimeter cameras that the suspect, David Riden, was identified. Riden had been the Boys’ Locker Room Attendant and assistant football coach. Following his arrest, he resigned from his positions and is no longer employed by the District. We have committed to do all we can to provide support and counseling for our students during this time. If your child has attended Los Osos High School in the years since 2015, you have every right to be outraged. You and your child have a reasonable expectation of privacy and safety when attending school and, as a parent, you have to trust that the school faculty will protect students. That trust was irretrievably broken in this case. While the perpetrator will likely face stiff criminal penalties, where does that leave the minor victims? In many cases like this, institutional failings allow predators like David Riden to continue to operate - even after reasonable suspicion or reports have been filed. In fact, in an interview with ABC7, a parent of a former student disclosed that her daughter always felt uncomfortable around Riden.
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