HOUSTON – Students at MacArthur High School are mourning the loss of a classmate who died after prom.
Jackie Gomez, 17, was found in her hotel room at the Hyatt North Houston Saturday morning. According to police, Gomez and her prom date booked the room, which is where the school's prom was held.
When her date woke up, he found her unresponsive.
"Right there in that moment, my heart stopped," said Briana Hernandez, recalling the news.
She worked with Gomez at the Kroger near their school. She said Gomez couldn't contain her excitement leading up to prom.
The family of the victim is grieving, but they don't know exactly how Gomez died and they're frustrated with the lack of answers.
"She was smart. She had a future ahead of her. She was always smiling, always laughing, nothing would bring her down," her mother told Local 2. "It's a very hard time for the whole family. My daughter had a bright future ahead of her. She was going to be in pharmaceuticals. Now that's not going to happen."
Detectives say they do not suspect foul play. They also don't believe Gomez's date had anything to do with her death.
Investigators found alcohol and prescription painkillers inside the hotel room.
Local 2 checked and the autopsy is not completed yet. We are told toxicology test results could take weeks to come back.
