A Florida teenager died mysteriously in her sleep at her parents’ home after a night of partying at a bar in what authorities considered a possible homicide case.
Ava Hulett, 19, was pronounced dead at her family home in Estero, just hours after being released from the hospital following an incident at Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar and Grill in Fort Myers early June 15.
Lee County detectives have launched an investigation into the death, according to Anthony Rickman, a Tampa attorney representing the family.
Hulett is the younger sister of Bradley Hulett, who was inadvertently shot and killed by a friend while playing video games in 2019.
Now the Hulett family is mourning the death of their second oldest son.
Ava Hulett, 19, was pronounced dead at her family home in Estero, near Fort Myers, just hours after being released from the hospital following an incident at a bar.
Hulett is the younger sister of Bradley Hulett (left), who was inadvertently shot and killed by a friend while playing video games in 2019.
Now the Hulett family is mourning the death of their second oldest child.
Hulett along with at least one friend were transported to the hospital for treatment while at Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar and Grill in Fort Myers early on June 15.
Hulett was released from the hospital. later that day, but would be found dead a few hours later.
At approximately 12:20 p.m., her mother found her unresponsive at home, according to Rickman.
Meagan called the police while her husband performed CPR until first responders arrived on the scene, but she was pronounced dead at 12:31 p.m. Tampa Bay reported.
‘He had just turned 19 last week, a few days before he died. She was looking forward to starting school and starting her adult life,” Rickman said.
Ava’s mother, Meagan Hulett, addressed her daughter’s death in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The Drug Homicide Investigation Unit is already investigating the incident
Ava’s mother emphasized that her daughter did not commit suicide and believes she mistakenly took a substance that killed her.
According to his mother, on the night of Hulett’s death there were reports of “other overdoses” at the same bar, so police considered it a possible homicide case.
He stressed that his daughter did not commit suicide and believes that she mistakenly took a substance that killed her.
“She was conscious after the event and even told me, ‘I don’t want to die,'” the post read. ‘She was scared.’
According to his mother, on the night of Hulett’s death there were reports of “other overdoses” at the same bar, so police considered it a possible homicide case.
“No parent should outlive their children, and these two parents are outliving two of their children, and it’s just horrible that they’re going through this again,” said Rickman, the family’s attorney since Bradley was killed.
But the sheriff’s office stated that there are no signs that Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar and Grill in Fort Myers caused any intentional harm to its customers.
At approximately 12:20 p.m., her mother found her unresponsive at home, according to Rickman.
Bradley Hulett was inadvertently shot and killed by a friend while playing video games in 2019
“At this time, there is no indication that the company’s personnel or its operations have caused harm to its customers,” the statement reads.
Ava was described as a free-spirited friend who lit up every room and lived “unapologetically.”
“Yesterday one of my best childhood friends passed away,” a friend wrote in an obituary.
‘I woke up this morning in complete denial and trying to understand why it was Ava. Ava was a girl who always made me laugh. Any room she entered instantly lit up and now that light is gone.
“Ava Hulett’s untimely death has sparked waves of grief throughout her community and beyond, leaving those who knew her grappling with immense grief.”
The Drug Homicide Investigation Unit is now investigating the incident.
Detectives are awaiting toxicology results to determine Hulett’s cause of death following an autopsy.
The drug epidemic in the United States reached new highs in 2022, official data shows, and the escalation of the crisis shows no signs of abating.
A CDC report found that there were a record 107,941 overdose deaths that year, the most recent data available — the equivalent of 295 deaths per day and a one percent increase from the previous year.
Fentanyl was the main force behind the surge, which is fatal even in small doses, and the illicit drug is behind nearly 70 percent of the deaths.
