Colorado girl dies after falling through ceiling of community center’s gym
By Jesse Sarles
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PUEBLO, Colorado (KCNC) — A teenager died inside the building of a nonprofit organization in southern Colorado after taking a 25 foot fall. Police in Pueblo said on Tuesday that they are investigating the death that happened on Friday at the Pueblo RMSER Empowerment Center.
The juvenile was a 13-year-old girl and her first name was Joeylin. Authorities say she fell through the ceiling of a gym during a youth event that was happening in the evening. The girl was with four others who were exploring the second floor of the building without supervision, according to police. They apparently had come across a room with a ladder that led up to the attic.
The people in the group were walking across across wooden beams in the attic when the girl fell.
RMSER stands for Rocky Mountain Service, Employment & Redevelopment/Jobs for Progress, Inc. The group operates several different centers in Colorado, including the one on the 300 block of Lake Avenue in Pueblo. On their website, they say their empowerment centers are “transformative hubs located in the heart of underserved communities.”
“These centers are typically housed in repurposed, vacant school buildings. They are designed to breathe new life into these structures, turning them into vibrant spaces where essential services and programs are offered to meet the unique needs of the local community,” the rmser.org website states.
The management of the center say they’ll be closed until Monday.
Rocky Mountain SER staff released a statement that said, in part: “Joeylin was a bright and beloved light in our community, and her sudden passing is a devastating blow to all who knew and loved her. While the exact circumstances of this tragedy remain under investigation, we ask you all to join us in lifting in loving support and deep prayer Joeylin, her family, friends, and all who are grieving during this unimaginable time.”
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