The Kentwood High School community continues to mourn the unexpected death last week of 15-year-old Oscar Lindsay.<\/p>\n
Emergency vehicles responded the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 7 to a bus at Mattson Middle School. The bus driver reportedly pulled into the school for a break after dropping off students at Kentwood. Oscar, however, remained on the bus, according to an email to parents from Kentwood Principal Samantha Ketover.<\/p>\n
Oscar died that morning in a medic vehicle at the middle school, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause and manner of death are pending.<\/p>\n
“The Medical Examiner’s Office is not legally allowed to release any additional information from the autopsy record such as what information needs to be ascertained to determine cause and manner,” according to a Feb. 9 email from a Public Health – Seattle & King County spokesperson.<\/p>\n
“We do not have any additional information or estimate on how long it may take to determine cause and manner. Cases that have cause and manner of death listed as ‘pending’ will be added to the list again when cause and manner of death are determined.”<\/p>\n
The King County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident and determined that Oscar’s death wasn’t suspicious but rather associated with a medical event, according to a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. The Sheriff’s Office contracts with the city of Covington to provide police services. Mattson and Kentwood are in Covington, but part of the Kent School District.<\/p>\n
Kent School District communications staff did not respond to a Kent Reporter email with questions about the incident.<\/p>\n
The district denied a public records request by the Kent Reporter for an audio transcript of a conversation between the district’s bus dispatcher and the driver of the Kentwood bus, in part because of an “ongoing” investigation.<\/p>\n
Oscar’s life<\/strong><\/p>\n Oscar attended Sunrise Elementary School and Meridian Middle School prior to Kentwood. He inspired people at each school and often displayed his joy for soccer.<\/p>\n “As a seventh grader, Oscar was still trying to find out who he was, but one thing for sure was he loved soccer,” said Colleen Lawler, a Meridian Middle School teacher, in a post on everloved.com. “He wore something soccer related everyday in class, whether it was his team or his favorite teams. He was always willing to help others and was a good friend.<\/p>\n “I am deeply saddened by his passing and my heart goes out to his friends, family, and especially his mom May, who fought tooth and nail for her kid, but held him accountable, too.”<\/p>\n