Police: Death at cheerleading camp not suspicious
After two days of investigation and interviews, Park Ridge police said Wednesday they do not believe the death of a 7-year-old girl who collapsed at a Maine South High School summer cheerleading camp to be suspicious.
And while authorities believe the victim's death was due to natural causes, it could be another six to eight weeks before an official cause of death is determined by the Cook County medical examiner's office, authorities said.
Park Ridge Deputy Police Chief Duane Mellema said police interviewed camp staffers who were present Monday morning at the Maine South field house, where Kate Babich became ill and collapsed during the second-through fifth-grade cheer camp.
Police are done with their end of the investigation, pending final results from the medical examiner, which determined following an autopsy Tuesday that further tests were needed.
“From the information that was provided the day of and in follow-up by our detectives, there is no indication of anything suspicious with regard to the death,” Mellema said. “At this point, we'll wait and see what the medical examiner provides.”
The girl was among 35 participants in the camp, one of several summer athletic camps run by Maine South. Monday was the first day of the 5-day cheerleading camp, and the class was almost three hours in when she collapsed just before noon, according to Dave Beery, spokesman for Maine Township High School District 207.
The girl was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital where she was pronounced dead about 1 p.m.
The camp is run by an adult coach, who is assisted by about five young adults. Monday morning's activities took place indoors, Beery said.
The remainder of the cheer camp, scheduled to run through Friday, was canceled. Grief counselors were made available for parents and children who had been attending the camp. Counselors were also made available at Field Elementary School in Park Ridge, where Kate recently completed first grade.