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Joshua Hershberger, 15 -- Killed By Falling Sword

Published Monday, March 06, 2006 by Admin | E-mail this post

[3/6/06]

BRANDON - A bizarre accident claimed the life of a Hillsborough County teenager Monday night and left friends and family mourning the popular football star.

Investigators say Joshua Hershberger was killed when a decorative sword fell off his bedroom wall and stabbed the 15-year-old. The grim news made for a somber day at Brandon High School, where Joshua was a sophomore.

Tuesday was an FCAT testing day at the school, so keeping students focused was a top priority.

"We're trying to keep it as normal a day as possible," schools spokesman Steve Hegarty said. "I've talked to a number of teachers today and the principal, and they said that he had excellent grades and he took very challenging courses. So he was a bright kid with his future ahead of him."

Josh's death was described as an unusual accident. He was bouncing a kickball in his room with his younger brother and sister when a 29-inch sword got knocked off the wall, hitting him in the neck and shoulder as it fell.

He was taken to Brandon Regional Hospital, where he died.

"I specifically asked the detective last night, and he said the best way to describe [the sword] is 'gothic,' like you would hang on the wall for decoration," offered sheriff's office spokeswoman Debbie Carter.

Tuesday, art students had made an impromptu memorial for Josh, a 6-foot-tall star football player said to be the heart of the team.

"I just talked to him yesterday at school and then the next day, all of the sudden, this happens. I was just shocked," friend Kenneth Stoneburg offered.

"You don't want to think about it, but being in school you can't stop because everybody's running around. So I just had to go home," Robert Crews added.

Josh's mother told Action News off-camera that the swords were merely decorative. She had bought them for her son as Christmas presents.

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