Former America’s Got Talent contestant Emily Gold has died by suicide at the young age of 17. The tragic news was confirmed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department.
Emily competed with the Los Osos High School dance team from Rancho Cucamonga, California.
The team made a sensation and won fans with both an Usher medley tribute in June and then, in the next round, songs from the Black Eyed Peas and Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).”
Judge Simon Cowell called their first performance “absolutely brilliant,” adding “I don’t know anything about dance, however, that to me was an event. Really.”
The group went as far as the quarterfinals.
The dance team’s Instagram account features a tribute to Gold, which describes her as a senior and varsity dance captain. “Emily has always embodied every aspect of our core team values through her strength, commitment, kindness, compassion, and the most humble heart,” it reads. “She will be remembered as a leader, role model, friend, and sister to her teammates.”
Gold spoke about her performances on Aug. 13, when she told PEOPLE, “When I’m performing, I’m really thinking about all the corrections because we get corrections up until five minutes before we go on stage. So, to really just think about all those so that we apply them is my biggest priority on stage.”
The family has offered no details about Emily’s state of mind or reasons that might have led her to commit such a heartbreaking act.
A GoFundMe fundraiser started for the Gold family has raised more than $25,500 as of Monday afternoon. “With great sadness we share our Los Osos Grizzly Emily Gold has passed away,” the message read. “As a community lets come together and support the Gold family in this difficult time. Please know this money will go directly to the family to support them and help with expenses.”
