Teen, 13, dies in 25-foot fall through attic floor at afterschool program

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News on Apr 22, 2025

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A Colorado community was reeling and seeking answers Tuesday after a 13-year-old girl fell through an attic floor at her afterschool program and plummeted 25 feet to her death.

Authorities in Pueblo confirmed that Joeylin Kenley McDonald died Friday at about 7 p.m. during a Head Start program Youth Kickback event at the Rocky Mountain Service, Employment, and Redevelopment Empowerment Center, KRDO-TV and other outlets reported.

Empowerment center CEO Christopher W. Hall confirmed with “profoundly broken hearts” the “tragic loss” of “precious soul” Joeylin, he told USA Today.

Joeylin had been with her peers when she fell, but no one else was injured, police said. An investigation into what happened and why the children were in the attic was still underway, and authorities were still determining whether the matter was criminal or not, KRDO reported.

The teen attended Connect Charter School in Pueblo, about 50 miles south of Colorado Springs, her aunt, Caitlyn Valdez, told KRDO. The avid dancer, soccer player and star student competed in the Miss Pueblo County scholarship pageant, finishing last year as a runner-up for Miss Pre-Teen, Valdez told the outlet, adding that she had also been crowned Miss Spirit 2024.

“Joeylin was the brightest soul in the world,” Valdez said in a statement. “She is smart, headstrong, beautiful, sassy, sweet, caring and one hell of a hard worker. A true force to be reckoned with.”

Her fellow students wore pink, Joeylin’s favorite color, to school on Monday in her honor, Valdez said.

Foremost among Joeylin’s passions was her family — five siblings, her parents and a network of other relatives, her aunt said.

“Mourning the loss of such a beautiful soul will be a daily task for the rest of our lives,” Valdez said. “Joeylin is one of a kind and will never be forgotten.”

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