Teen cadet dies at youth academy program, NC National Guard says
A teenager died while attending a military-style youth program in North Carolina, officials say.
The teen was a cadet at the Tarheel Challenge Academy in New London, the N.C. National Guard told WBTV.
Now, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death, which happened at about 12 a.m. Wednesday, according to WCNC and other news outlets.
The N.C. National Guard sponsors the program, located on a campus roughly 45 miles northeast of Charlotte, according to its website.
The academy says it provides opportunities to North Carolina teens who have left high school or are at risk of dropping out. Participants are ages 16 to 18, according to the program’s website.
Tarheel Challenge Academy runs another location in Salemburg, a town about 25 miles east of Fayetteville.
Military and academy officials didn’t immediately respond Thursday morning to requests for additional information about the death.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and fellow cadets as we hold them firmly in our hearts and prayers during this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, adjutant general of the N.C. National Guard, according to WSOC.
