A Cincinnati Public Schools student with disabilities died on Sept. 16 after her family found her unresponsive on a school bus, sources told The Enquirer.
Roselawn Cordon School student 7-year-old Ngone Talla, who is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair, was found "not breathing" aboard the bus, according to Cheikh Ndiaye, the owner of Darou Salam, a Northside restaurant where Ngone's mom has worked since 2015.
CPS and First Student, the contractor of the school bus, that is used by CPS, released statements Sept. 17 regarding the incident. Officials with multiple agencies, including the Cincinnati Police Department, said Ngone's death is under investigation.
As of Sept. 18, no charges have been filed in relation to the incident.
Here's what we know so
far.
What happened on the school bus?
A statement from First Student released Sept. 17 said a student died on one of its buses.
Sources close to the family later told The Enquirer that the bus transported Ngone to the family's home in Northside from Roselawn as it does every school day. The family's home is located on the 4200 block of Colerain Avenue, about 8 miles away from the CPS school.
There, the student was found unresponsive by her mother and sisters, Ndiaye told The Enquirer. Ngone's mother called her father Abdoula Talla, who was not present, who then called emergency services, Ndiaye said.
Ngone was then transferred to Cincinnati Children's, where she was pronounced dead, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office told The Enquirer.
Ngone's 12-year-old sister, Marema Talla, told WCPO she believes someone on the bus should have recognized her little sister needed help before dropping her off at their family's house.
"They should have never had to wait for the parents to call the ambulance because it should have been their responsibility," she said. "They should have never waited until they got to the house to even try to call them."
What caused the student's death?
It is not yet clear what caused Ngone's death. Her sister Marema told WCPO that she went outside their home after being told her sister's bus had arrived. Family were then ushered on board, Marema said.
There, Marema said she found her little sister motionless in her wheelchair.
"She was just laying there with her head up like that, and her lips were dry, and her lips were like cut and bleeding," Marema told WCPO yesterday, Sept. 17. "I checked her pulse, and she wasn't breathing."
A formal cause of death has not yet been determined. Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco told Enquirer media partner Fox19 that Ngone's death appears to be natural, but is looking into it.
The coroner's office told The Enquirer on Sept. 17 the incident doesn't appear to be a homicide or suicide.
How is Cincinnati Public Schools responding?
The school district said in a Sept.17 statement, “Cincinnati Public Schools is grieving the loss of a student from Roselawn Condon School who died yesterday. Our hearts are with her family and everyone who knew and loved her."
"This is an unimaginable loss for them and a heartbreaking day for the Roselawn Condon community. The CPS Crisis Response Unit is at the school supporting students and employees," the district stated.
It is not yet clear if any CPS personnel will be put on leave or terminated in relation to the incident.
Who is Ngone Talla?
Ngone was a happy, friendly child who appeared happy and healthy when she left for school Wednesday morning, WCPO reported.
Her family is Senegalese and her mother has been working at Darou Salam, a Senegalese restaurant in Northside, since 2015, the restaurant's owner Ndiaye told The Enquirer.
The girl's family frequently visited the restaurant. Ndiaye said Ngone's two older sisters are friends with his daughters.
Just before speaking with The Enquirer on Sept. 17, Ndiaye had visited Ngone's home where many members of Cincinnati's Senegalese community were gathering. He said Ngone's mother was "still crying."
“If something happens, all the community comes through," he said. “Everybody is giving their sympathies to them.”
The Enquirer may update this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police look into death of Cincinnati Public student. What we know
