According to a statement released by KGKC general manager Steve Downing on Thursday, Adan Manzano, a sports reporter who was covering the Chiefs, passed away on Wednesday while working on assignment for the Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans for Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports.

The cause of death has not been disclosed at this time. Downing mentioned in the statement that the network is working with law enforcement in the investigation of this tragic incident.

In the statement, Downing praised Adan as a dedicated professional and a promising talent in his role as KGKC’s Sports Anchor & Reporter. He highlighted Adan’s commitment to excellence in his field of work and the positive impact he had on the local community. The team at KGKC expressed their sorrow over the loss of Adan and extended their sympathies to his family and loved ones during this challenging period.

Manzano was 27 years old, according to KMBC, the ABC affiliate in Kansas City.

Manzano had worked at KGKC since April 2021, according to his LinkedIn page, and after the Mexico City native moved to Topeka, Kan., in 2018, he graduated from Kansas State, according to a KSNT story from 2024.

“I used to dream about this but I never expected that it was going to come that soon,” Manzano told the outlet before Super Bowl 2024, when he worked as a sideline reporter. “It’s just a blessing.”

In his final X post, Manzano captioned a picture of Mahomes with a large collection of reporters gathered around his table at Super Bowl opening night with the line, “Mahomes vs el Mundo” — which translates to “Mahomes vs. the world.”

He also posted a picture Sunday of a Super Bowl 2025 sign and expressed gratitude for being able to cover the event for a third time with the Chiefs going for a three-peat.

Months after last year’s Super Bowl, Manzano’s wife, Ashleigh Boyd, was killed in a car crash after a driver crossed the center line and struck their car, according to KSNT.

The couple’s 1-year-old daughter, who was in the car with her mother, survived.

Boyd worked as a teacher at Lowman Hill Elementary School in Topeka, and she told KSNT before Super Bowl 2024 that Manzano had “worked so hard at this.”

“There’s been times when he’s had two or three jobs to make ends meet,” Boyd said at the time. “And now knowing he gets to go out there and do what he loves and what he’s good at, it’s just the best feelings ever.”