Franklin High School Senior Xavier Nungaray Passes Away Following On-Campus Fall
LOS ANGELES, California — The Highland Park community and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are mourning the loss of 17-year-old Xavier Nungaray (also reported as Nungarary), a senior at Benjamin Franklin High School who died following a fall from an upper-floor balcony on campus.
Published by Global Report Center
LOS ANGELES, California — The Highland Park community and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are mourning the loss of 17-year-old Xavier Nungaray (also reported as Nungarary), a senior at Benjamin Franklin High School who died following a fall from an upper-floor balcony on campus.
The incident occurred at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the school campus located in the 800 block of North Avenue 54. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded swiftly to the scene and transported Nungaray to a local trauma center, where he was pronounced dead from severe injuries sustained in the fall.
Official Status and Police Investigation
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Juvenile Division and LAUSD School Police have opened an active investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Preliminary police statements noted no immediate evidence of foul play. However, investigators are reviewing social media video footage showing an physical altercation involving Nungaray in the corridor moments prior to his fall. Family members and classmates have publicly stated that Nungaray experienced ongoing peer bullying. LAUSD deployed crisis intervention teams, psychiatric social workers, and grief counselors across the campus to support students, staff, and faculty. Details regarding formal funeral services will be announced once finalized by his surviving family.
Community Tributes and Family Support
News of Xavier Nungaray’s death sparked a widespread outpouring of grief across Highland Park.
Hundreds of students, parents, and community members gathered outside Franklin High School for an evening candlelight vigil, leaving floral arrangements, candles, and handwritten tributes along the perimeter fence. Friends and peers remembered Nungaray as a gentle, quiet, and kind-hearted student. Sincere condolences and support continue to be extended to his parents, relatives, and classmates during this period of grief.
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