Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in October 2024.

A US Air Force Academy cadet tragically passed away last month in her Colorado dorm room, and experts suggest that her death, caused by pneumonia, could have been avoided. Avery Koonce, 19, of Tyler, Texas, died on September 4th, after suffering from complications of a severe lung infection, according to an autopsy report released by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office.

The report indicated that Koonce’s cause of death was “paeniclostridium sordelli sepsis complicating parainfluenza laryngotracheobronchitis,” a rare but potentially deadly bacterial infection that was secondary to a viral lung infection. Medical experts believe this could have been treated with timely antibiotics and other basic interventions.