Columbus police and the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office are investigating the death of a 14-year-old Columbus East High School freshman.
Shaylynne Sky Hill, 14, Columbus, was pronounced dead in the Columbus Regional Hospital emergency department at 12:28 a.m. Wednesday, Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting said.
The girl was at a friend’s house Tuesday night when she became ill, Columbus Police Lt. Jay Frederick said. Columbus police said an ambulance was sent to a residence in the 1800 block of Jolinda Drive at 11:31 p.m. Tuesday after residents there called 911.
An autopsy was conducted Thursday morning at Columbus Regional Hospital, and toxicology results are expected in the next two to three weeks, Frederick said. Until then, the circumstances and cause of death remain under investigation, he said.
The coroner’s office has learned through its investigation that the teen had a chronic genetic condition called Alpha-1, Frederick said. Alpha-1 is defined by the Alpha-1 Foundation as an antitrypsin deficiency which may result in serious lung disease or liver disease.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
