The Texas high school coaching community is in mourning after one of its own was shot and killed early Tuesday morning.
Ayden Burt, a track and volleyball coach at Jasper High School in East Texas, was at a social event late Monday night/Tuesday morning during the Texas High School Coaches Association coaching school when she was hit bit a stray gun shot and later died from her injuries, News 4 San Antonio reported.
Burt and others were at a vendor event at Smoke Skybar in downtown San Antonio with her back to Interstate 37 when a bullet struck her.
Investigators told News 4 they are attempting to locate the site of the fatal gun shot in their search for suspects.
Burt had been with Jasper High School for the past five years.
Prayers for Ayden Burt’s family and community. She was sitting right next to me laughing and talking and the next bleeding in my lap. My coaches did everything they could performing CPR etc to save her life. She was excited about the upcoming year. Traumatizing. https://t.co/Jn2yYrcFan
— Robert Murphy (@Coach_RobMurphy) July 23, 2024
This is absolutely heartbreaking. We just left San Antonio yesterday and saw so many coaches enjoying their time before going back to work. This young lady was with friends attending a vendor sponsored event. Prayers up to @JasperISD and family. https://t.co/ZKFm4PN7DG
— ROB (@bigdaddyrob1300) July 23, 2024
My heart goes out to this Servant Leader track coach. Senseless violence has robbed our world of an amazing human being who chose to coach track. 💔💔💔 https://t.co/08xMpvg1Dn
— I ❤️ T&F Coaches! (@MikeCunningham) July 23, 2024
My heart is heavy today. Someone’s decision led to THOUSANDS of broken hearts. Us coaches understand that this profession is a FAMILY, and part of our family is gone. Rest in His Kingdom Coach Burt. Praying for strength and peace. https://t.co/ytbWklimfw
— Ryan Rodriguez (@coachrod03) July 23, 2024
Praying for her family, the Jasper coaches that were directly impacted by this senseless act, their community & all coaches that witnessed this tragedy. 🙏🏾🙏🏾 https://t.co/9rcrt07rNC
— Coach Damon Bankston (@dbank713tx) July 23, 2024
Please join the FootballScoop community in lifting the Burt family and the Jasper community up in prayer as they navigate this senseless tragedy.
Update: THSCA executive director Joe Martin released this statement on Wednesday:
We are absolutely heartbroken about the tragic and senseless death of Ayden Burt early Tuesday morning. We know first hand that she was a wonderful person and a great coach who was passionate about the work she was doing to help the young people in East Texas excel.
Our convention is all about celebrating the coaching profession and bringing people together. Ayden was having fun at an offsite networking event with her fellow coaches and what happened is truly unimaginable. To be laughing and sharing stories with her colleagues one moment and fighting for her life the next due to a mindless and heinous act is difficult to comprehend.
San Antonio has always been a great host and a safe place for our coaches and it’s why we love coming there. We know the authorities will work tirelessly to find the perpetrators and we are hopeful they will be brought to justice. Meanwhile, our community of coaches is devastated and a loving family is grieving.
Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends and the Jasper community. On behalf of the entire Texas High School Coaches Association, we will be making a benevolence fund donation to her family to provide additional support during this incredibly difficult time.