HOUSTON – An Eisenhower Ninth Grade School student died after a hard fall in gym class Thursday.
Classmates described 16-year-old Elija Murphy as a boy who liked to joke and who loved basketball.
During gym Thursday, Murphy went to grab a rebound during a basketball drill and landed awkwardly coming down and hit is head, according to Aldine ISD officials. He was rushed to Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, where he died Friday.
"Our community mourns his passing and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones," officials said in a statement.
Classmates said after Murphy hit the floor, they thought he was joking. Coaches and a nurse soon rushed to his side before calling 911. Grief counselors were on campus all day Friday, and many students are still grieving the loss of a friend.
"It's crazy, cause I had just seen him," said classmate Kevion Cornett. "He died a happy person, because he died playing basketball with his buddies—something he liked to do."
