High School Freshman Marquez Oliver Dies After Playing Punching Game

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A high school freshman died after participating in a punching game with a friend last week.

Marquez Oliver, 15, (pictured) had punched his friend in an apparent form of punching tag Wednesday. In response, the friend approached Oliver and punched him in his chest Thursday. Oliver immediately fell to the ground afterwards, according to witnesses. The incident happened during lunch hour at Normandy High School in Wellston, Mo.

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“Apparently the victim from what we are hearing had punched the other student yesterday and he said ‘I will get you when I see you next time. I will get you!’ And apparently he just saw him standing in the hallway and ran up and hit him and I guess he wasn’t prepared for it,” said Wellston Police Chief G. Thomas Walker.

Watch a news report about Oliver’s death:

School officials attempted to resuscitate Oliver, but he was unresponsive. He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 6:30 p.m.

Authorities seem to be classifying the death as an accident. The school provided students with counseling Friday to help them deal with the loss.

“As a district we provided our crisis intervention team which consists of both NSD staff and external mental health partners, and they’ve been at it all morning,” said Chief Administrative Officer Philip Boyd.

Oliver’s family, understandably, is struggling with the news. “It just feels like a nightmare, it just feels like I am still asleep from the other night and I haven’t even woken up yet,” stepmom Janette Oliver told WTLV News. “He loved the world. He loved his family. He loved to be around his family. He loved his friends.”

Juvenile authorities are still deciding on whether to charge Oliver’s friend in his death.