Gate at Tucson school needed repair 9 days before it fell, killing child

A gate at a Tucson-area elementary school was known to need maintenance work nine days before it fell and killed a 9-year-old student, a public record reveals.

A work order for welding needed on the rolling gate was issued at Centennial Elementary School on Nov. 8, a document the Arizona Daily Star obtained from Flowing Wells Unified School District under a public records request shows.

The document states that welding work was requested for the gate “behind the kitchen” and needed to be finished “ASAP” with “medium” priority.

At about 2:20 p.m. Nov. 17, Pima County sheriff’s deputies called to the school found a 9-year-old with “severe trauma,” the sheriff’s department said. The child later died at a hospital.

An investigation by the Sheriff’s Department found that the gate disconnected from its support, falling on the female student, who was helping to close the gate.

Names and identifying information in the work order provided to the Star were redacted, but Flowing Wells Unified School District Superintendent Kevin Stoltzfus confirmed Thursday to the Star that the gate was the one that fell.

“The incident continues to be under investigation, and we have no additional information at this time,” Stoltzfus said.

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He did not respond to the Star’s question Thursday on whether the work order was fulfilled and the requested maintenance work was finished before the incident. The Star’s public records request was for any and all documents about the gate, and the district said the work order, which listed the work request as “open,” was the only record on file.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment Thursday, saying in an email: “PCSD is not currently granting any interviews or answering any questions specific to the investigation.”

No criminal violations occurred in the death, sheriff’s investigators previously said.

Family members of the child could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

In a letter to district families immediately after the death, Stoltzfus said the district was investigating why the gate malfunctioned.

“We will take all steps necessary to make sure a terrible accident like this never happens again,” Stoltzfus wrote.