Texas high school football player collapses, dies in twin brother's arms: 'I can't breathe. I'm about to pass out'
LEWISVILLE, TEXAS: A North Texas high school football player collapsed while playing at a parking lot on Friday, September 20, night, ultimately taking his final breath in his twin brother's arms.
DeShaud Williams, a 16-year-old defensive tackle on the Fighting Farmers' junior varsity football team, was running and playing tag with his twin brother DaShaud at a parking lot near Summit and Valley Ridge at around 10 pm when he began to have difficulty breathing and lost consciousness.
"We started jogging a little bit more and he was like, 'Da, I can't breathe'," DaShaud told NBC Dallas-Fort Watch. "I was like, 'You good?? Come on, we're going to get home'. And he was like, 'I can't breathe. I'm about to pass out'. And I ran to him and he fell to his knees and fell on his back."
He said he immediately called 911 and was with his brother as emergency responders arrived minutes later, but it was already too late. DeShaud had taken his last breath in his twin brother's arms. He was declared dead in the ambulance while he was getting transported to the hospital.
A statement from the Lewisville Police Department said that reports of a teenager had being shot had stemmed from misinformation about Deshaud's death and announced that an autopsy was underway to determine the cause of death.
Police said there were no signs of foul play, with the current suspicion being that the teen died from a cardiac arrest even though a recent school physical had found him to be exemplary shape.
Razel Sheppard, his mother, said his sudden death was a "big mystery" as he had "never been sick" and was "a healthy all-around kid."
"Dee left this world before his mother, two brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles got a chance to say goodbye," a tribute on his GoFundMe page read.
"To them, he was more than just an honor roll student who dreamed of being a chef one day. He was a gentle giant, a softspoken brother, son, and grandson who loved playing football and Fortnite."
The tribute added, "He was an industrious, reliable, sweet, kind and caring young man with a bright future. He would give you the clothes off his back if that meant for someone else in need."
DeShaud's family is currently in the process of making final arrangements and have asked for contributions to help transport his body back to his home in Cleveland, Ohio. The page has already raised over $9,600 of what was originally a $5,000 goal.