A sixth-grade student fell down a set of stairs at Rachel Noel Middle School this morning and later died at a nearby hospital.

The incident happened just after sixth-grade lunch period at about 11:20 a.m. Rachel Noel Middle School is located at 5290 Kittridge St. in Montbello.

This afternoon principal Patricia Slaughter sent home a letter to parents. Following is a portion of what she wrote:

“A sixth grade student at Rachel B. Noel Middle School fell down the stairs today. He received prompt medical attention in the building, 911 was called, and he was transported to the hospital. Very unfortunately, he died shortly after arriving at the hospital. An investigation by district and local authorities continues to look into exactly what happened."