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f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  General Discussion  |  Serious Business  |  Topic: Cheerleading kills. 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
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Author Topic: Cheerleading kills.  (Read 857 times)
Shockeye
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Skinny-dippin' in a sea of Lee, I'd propose on bended knee...


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on: August 11, 2005, 05:19:15 PM

Quote from: The Denver Channel
Cheerleader Dies After Aerial Routine
Teammates Gather For Grief Counseling

POSTED: 1:37 pm MDT August 10, 2005
UPDATED: 2:37 pm MDT August 10, 2005

MEDFORD, Mass. -- Classmates and friends of cheerleader Ashley Burns, 14, were mourning her Wednesday after the teen died suddenly following a complicated stunt at her cheerleading gym.

WCVB-TV in Boston reported that Burns was remembered as a happy, bright young girl who was always involved in many school activities. At Medford Vocational-Technical High School, where she would have been a freshman in the fall, students and counselors gathered to mourn her.

"I know that Ashley was involved not only in cheerleading, but at her previous school she was also involved in the chorus," said Medford High Headmaster Paul Krueger.

Burns had been selected as one of 12 freshmen on the school's cheerleading team. A petite girl, only 4 feet 9 inches and 90 pounds, she would have been a "flyer," on the squad -- one of the girls who gets thrown up into the air during routines. She was practicing at the private East Elite Cheer Gym in Tewksbury, Mass., about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Her coach, Julie Brown, said Burns was trying to execute a "double down" stunt with three other girls, which called for her to be tossed into the air, completing two turns and landing on her back in her teammates' arms.

Burns apparently landed on her stomach instead, although she did not land on the ground. She complained of shortness of breath and abdominal pain afterward and 911 was called. She was taken to Saints Memorial Hospital in Lowell, Mass., where she later died about 6 p.m.

"If she impacted her abdominal area, a blunt injury could cause internal bleeding, and I would suspect it may be in that line of injury," Tewksbury Police Chief Richard Mackey said.

Burns was a student at the McGlinn Middle School last year. At the high school, the flag was lowered to half-staff and some of her cheerleader teammates showed up for grief counseling.

"They're obviously finding it very difficult to deal with the loss of Ashley. Fortunately for them, the cheerleaders are a very tight-knit group and the amount of support they will be able to give each other is really immeasurable," Krueger said.

Investigators said it appears Burns' death was a tragic accident, but an autopsy will be performed.

"We are deeply saddened by yesterday's tragedy. We were obviously looking forward to having Ashley participate on our cheerleading squad and become part of the Medford High School family," Krueger said.

"Obviously our deepest sympathy is with the family right now. We are not going to make a further comment until we get further information, which needs to be available at a later date. The police department is investigating," gym co-owner Linda Bemis said.
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