HOUSTON – Alexis Payton, a grieving father, is searching for answers after the sudden death of his teenage son, Landon, who collapsed on the floor of the Marshall Middle School gym last Wednesday.

Payton described him as a little boy who dreamed of becoming a football player and gamer.

The school told him that Landon was shooting basketball when the incident occurred.

Payton said his son always kept to himself and had a passion for football.

RELATED: Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles says a deceased Marshall Middle School student suffered a medical emergency during physical education class

“His dream was to be a football player and a gamer. That was it. That was his dream. He loved football. He didn’t bother anybody; he stuck to himself and that’s what he wanted to do,” Payton said.

On Friday, Payton visited the Houston Independent School District headquarters to view video footage of the incident. He said he wanted to know what school administrators did to help his son, and especially whether the school’s automated external defibrillator (AED) worked or failed during the emergency.

“I want to know what happened to my son, that’s all. I still don’t know,” Payton said.

READ: Houston ISD: Student who suffered a medical emergency at Marshall Middle School has died

Texas state law requires every school to have working defibrillators, but Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, raised concerns after speaking with staff at Marshall Middle School.

“I got calls from several Marshall staff members who described to me as best they could what they saw. They said the nurse or someone else got the defibrillator. They tried to use it on the boy, but it didn’t work,” Anderson explained.

Anderson also mentioned that staff at four other HISD schools had reported similar problems with their defibrillators, raising doubts about the safety measures in place across the district.

KPRC 2 Investigates has reached out to HISD officials for a response regarding the alleged defibrillator failure at Marshall Middle School and the reported problems at other schools. So far, there has been no response from HISD.

The incident left one family in mourning, and the community demanding answers about the safety protocols put in place to protect their children.

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles issued the following statement on Friday:

“On Wednesday, Houston ISD suffered a tremendous loss. We are devastated by the death of Marshall Middle School student Landon Payton. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to his family. They are our highest priority during this unimaginable time. We have been focused this week on gathering information for the family and that is our top priority. We have also been focused on providing resources and counseling to support the students and staff at Marshall Middle School.

“I am grateful for the quick action of our school staff, school nurse and police. I am also grateful for the quick response of the Houston Emergency Services and Fire Department. I understand that many want to better understand what happened on August 14. Right now, the school district’s top priority is communicating directly with Landon’s family and respecting their privacy. What we can share with you now is that Landon experienced a medical emergency during physical education class and received immediate medical attention from HISD staff, HISD police and medical personnel. He also received medical attention from EMS and was transported to the hospital by the EMS team.

“As a father myself, my heart breaks for Landon’s family. The district is committed to them and will do everything it can to support them and our grieving community. The health and safety of our precious students is my top priority and that of the HISD faculty and staff. I know you have more questions. This is the only information I can share with you at this time.”