Los Osos High School dancer and America has talent contestant Emily Gold, 17, has died.
On Friday, Sept. 13, Gold was found dead by suicide at 11:52 p.m., the San Bernardino Coroner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said, “California Highway Patrol Rancho Cucamonga area officers responded to a pedestrian in the lanes.”
“When officers arrived, they located a female, 17 years old, who had been struck by at least one other vehicle in the carpool lane on the eastbound 210,” Jimenez said. “The woman succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.”
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Emily Gold, ‘America’s Got Talent’ contestant, as seen in a GoFundMe photo.
GoFundMe
Police asked anyone who saw what happened or has additional information to contact their investigator, Officer S. Gonzalez. PEOPLE reached out to the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department as well as representatives America has talent and Los Osos High School for comment.
Just last month, a teenage girl from Southern California wowed the nation along with the Los Osos High School dance team at the America has talent. After passing the auditions, the group made it to the quarter-finals of the series before being eliminated in August.
Despite their elimination, judge Simon Cowell applauded the team’s high-energy performance.
It was absolutely brilliant, Cowell said at the time. “What I loved about this was the energy above all. I think what I just saw is everything a great school should be doing, which is fostering talent and friendship.”
Cowell continued: “It reminded me that I saw High school musical film and thinking that every child should go to such a school.”
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Emily Gold (far right) and members of the Los Osos High School dance troupe on the red carpet of the ‘AGT’ quarterfinals on August 13, 2024.
Amanda Edwards/Getty
Speaking to PEOPLE on Aug. 13, Gold said of her time on stage, “When I’m performing, I really think about all the corrections because we get corrections up to five minutes before we go on stage. So I’m really just thinking about all of them so I’m application the highest priority on stage.”
When asked how she balanced her time in high school with performing AGT, she said, “it’s definitely hard to balance it all, but we do.”
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Shortly after news of her death, Gold’s loved ones set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the dancer’s family.
“It is with great sadness that we share our Los Osos Grizzly Emily Gold who has passed away,” the fundraiser reads. “As a community let’s come together and support the Gold family at this difficult time. Please remember this money will go directly to the family to support them and help with expenses.”
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education