Texas A&M Student Dies After Lone Star Showdown Tailgate; Investigation Ongoing
The Texas A&M community is mourning the loss of sophomore Brianna Aguilera, whose life was tragically cut short just hours after attending a tailgate for the highly anticipated Lone Star Showdown between Texas A&M and the University of Texas. Aguilera died Saturday in Austin, and while the details surrounding her death remain unclear, police are actively investigating.
Austin police responded to a call about an unresponsive individual at an apartment complex on Saturday. Aguilera was pronounced dead at the scene. In a statement released Tuesday, the department said that, based on the current facts, they do not believe Aguilera’s death was the result of a homicide.
“Multiple detectives continue to interview witnesses, gather evidence, and work carefully through the details of the incident,” the department said in a press release. “At this stage in the investigation, the facts obtained do not indicate that this is a homicide.
This case continues to be treated strictly as a death investigation, and there is no evidence to suggest or support any suspicious or criminal circumstances surrounding Ms. Aguilera’s passing.”
The official cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, has voiced concerns about the information she’s received from investigators. She says the explanations have been inconsistent, with one officer telling her that Aguilera jumped from the 17th floor of an off-campus apartment building, while others said her friends weren’t sure of her whereabouts.
“There are a lot of inconsistencies with the story,” Rodriguez said. “He told me they said she jumped, and then he told me that the friends said they didn’t know her whereabouts.”
Rodriguez also emphasized that her daughter had no history of suicidal thoughts and had been optimistic about her future, particularly her goal of becoming a lawyer. She believes that someone inside the apartment that night may know more than they’ve shared.
According to Rodriguez, there were 15 people in the apartment at the time of her daughter’s death. She says text messages on Brianna’s phone may hold crucial information. “There was a fight that happened between my daughter and another girl, and they were all staying in the same apartment that I have actual text messages of, and the detective just disregarded them,” she said.
The investigation remains open, and authorities continue to gather evidence and interview those involved. For now, the Texas A&M and Austin communities are left with more questions than answers as they await clarity on what led to the tragic loss of a young student with a bright future ahead.