A Lane Tech College Prep student who was reported missing during Lollapalooza over the weekend was found dead in what was described as a “tragic accident.”
The body of 17-year-old Sincere Ash was found just after 6 p.m. Sunday near the Clybourn Metra station, in the 2000 block of Ashland Avenue, according to the rail agency. It was not immediately clear when he died and a cause of death was not released as of Tuesday morning.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death.
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Ash had no ID and no cell phone on him when he was found, causing a delay in his identification, Metra spokesperson Meg Reile said. The circumstances surrounding the incident remained under investigation, she said.
Evidence suggests Ash, whose body was recovered on the bridge over Armitage, may have been hit by a train, but Reile noted that no crews reported possibly striking someone at that location.
"If they had thought they struck someone they would have stopped," she said, adding that anyone walking in that location would have been "highly visible."
Chicago police said Ash had been reported missing, but could not provide further information.
According to a missing person flier shared hundreds of times on social media, Ash was a senior at Lane Tech College Prep. He was last seen at Lollapalooza just after 4 p.m. Sunday wearing blue denim shorts, a mustard yellow tank top, white tennis shoes and a hydration pack.
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The posting asked anyone with information on him to call Area North Detectives at (312) 744-8445.
Tamara Peters Porfirio, who said her daughter was close friends with Ash, said the teen “died in a tragic accident.”
“Thank you all for your concern and for helping to find him,” she wrote on Facebook. “We were with his family tonight when we learned the news. We are devastated beyond words. This young man was a light in our lives and in our home. Our hearts are broken.”
A post on Instagram said to be “on behalf of Sinceres [sic] Family and close friends” read “we are devastated to share that Sincere was involved in a tragic accident that took his life and his light away from us all.”
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In a letter to Lane Tech families, the school confirmed Ash's death, writing that he was a "valued member of our school community."
"Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time," the letter read. "This loss is sure to raise many emotions for our entire school, especially our students."
CPS' Crisis Team was scheduled to be at the school Wednesday and Thursday to provide counseling and support for student, the district said. They will also be available during the first week of school.
Lollapalooza did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
