BATON ROUGE, La (BRPROUD)- A Baker High School student has died after battling COVID-19. Local officials released heartfelt statements on the passing of the student.

Statement from Mayor Waites:

The loss of such a young life is always a tragedy and the preventable loss of that young life is heartbreaking. Young Mr. Sanders had his entire life ahead of him; one full of ambition and promise. The sorrow I feel for his family and loved ones is immense. To his family, please accept my deepest sympathies and know that my prayers are with you now and always. May God heal you in His infinite graces, and bless you with His love.

Statement from Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome:

Today, our parish learned of the heartbreaking loss of a young Baker resident due to COVID-19. Every death from this virus is one met with immense sorrow, especially the passing of a ninth grader from our community. At this point, every resident of our community has been impacted by COVID-19. This goes to show that even our youngest and most resilient loved ones are at risk. It is my hope that we can come together to prevent further loss. My prayers are with the family, friends and community of Patrick Sanders.