Lazar LaPenna, a fourth-grade student in Long Beach, N.Y., died during his Little League baseball game on Friday, per Newsday.
LaPenna’s cause of death has not been released. Andy Hayes, the president of the Long Beach/Lido Little League says the cause was not baseball-related.
“The community is heartbroken,” Hayes said following the incident. “[His parents] and their extended families have been a huge part of the Long Beach community for generations. We are all mourning the tragic loss of Lazar together with them.”
The young boy got a hit during the game, which Hayes said made LaPenna “elated.” Hayes added that LaPenna loved baseball, and it was easy to tell while watching him play.
LaPenna’s school, East Elementary School, opened counseling services for the students to mourn during this difficult time. The school’s superintendent Jennifer Gallagher made a Facebook post about the resources on the district's page.
“This tragedy is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for students and staff, particularly for [those] who are close to this family,” Gallagher said. “All of our schools have a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents and school personnel at difficult times such as this.”
