Two New Orleans teachers were among three people who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a rental home in Mexico City ahead of Dia de Los Muertos – or Day of the Dead – celebrations, their families said.   

  Jordan Marshall, 28, a 12th-grade English teacher, was curious and loved different cultures, his mother told CNN Wednesday, while his boyfriend, Cortez Hall, 33, was a seventh-grade social studies teacher in the city .  According to his sister, he loved to sing and dance and “was the joker of the family.”   

  Marshall, Hall and a woman whose identity CNN is trying to confirm were staying in an apartment they found on Airbnb in the Mexican capital’s La Rosita neighborhood.  The Mexico City attorney general’s office opened an investigation on October 30, looking into the “death of three foreigners, which resulted from possible gas inhalation poisoning.”  Special studies show the gas was carbon monoxide, the attorney general’s statement said.   

  After detecting a strong odor of gas in the apartment, security guards at an apartment complex called for backup from local authorities, the statement said, and arriving agents found the bodies of a woman and two men.   

  Rescuers pronounced them dead at the scene, the report said.  The attorney general’s office ordered investigations.   

  The US State Department confirmed the deaths, saying it was monitoring the investigation and awaiting official findings.  He referred questions about the investigation to Mexican authorities.   

  “We continue to provide all appropriate consular assistance to the families,” the department said in a statement.  “Out of respect for the families’ privacy, we have nothing further to add at this time.  … We once again offer our sincere condolences to the families for their loss.”   

  Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas found in fumes from fuels burned in vehicles, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces or ovens, according to the CDC.  Symptoms of prolonged inhalation include headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.   

  Marshall grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, said his mother, Jennifer Marshall.   

  “He was a bright ray of light and was never forgotten by anyone who came in contact with him.  We get so much love and support from people all over the world,” he said.  “Jordan was very intellectual and curious.  He enjoyed immersing himself in different cultures.  He was very passionate about his students and was a very passionate educator.”   

  TaNaja Williams, Hall’s niece, said she was shocked to learn her uncle had died.  She called him “the light of my life” and said she would miss him terribly.   

  “Every time she walked into the room, it was pure joy and happiness,” she said.  “We both loved music.  We would always sing together and I will miss that.”   

  Her mother – Hall’s sister Tanieka – said she will miss everything about her brother.   

  “He was so full of life.  He was always happy, always had a big smile on his face.  He was the jokester of the family.  He was always in a good place and very smart,” she said.  “He loved to dance.  He loved to sing.”   

  The school where Courtez Hall teaches released balloons in his honor last week, and his students and fellow teachers were visibly emotional, Tanieka Hall said.   

  The trio traveled to Mexico City for the Day of the Dead holiday, Jennifer Marshall said.  The celebrations, which usually spread across Mexico on November 1 and 2, honor departed loved ones and take on a lively tone with attendees sharing poetry and breaking sweet bread together.  Ornately decorated skulls and skull-shaped candies are a common feature.   

  Jordan Marshall’s mother traveled to the capital and identified his body, Jennifer Marshall said.  After going through a series of steps, his body was repatriated to the United States, he said.   

  Hall’s family learned of his death when the U.S. Embassy called his mother on Oct. 31, his mother’s birthday, Tanieka Hall said.  An embassy official told the family he was found unresponsive and foul play was not suspected, the sister said.   

  “For her to receive this news on her birthday was extremely devastating,” he said.   

  The Hall family is working to bring his body home and has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses, Tanieka Hall said.   

  Airbnb called the deaths a “terrible tragedy” and said it stood ready to assist in any investigation.   

  “Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones as they mourn such an unimaginable loss.  Our priority right now is to support those affected as authorities investigate what happened,” the online home rental company said in a statement.   

  Jennifer Marshall would like Airbnb and similar services to mandate the use of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors so future tragedies can be avoided, she said.  It was not immediately known if there were detectors operating in the apartment.   

  “We want to make sure his death was not in vain,” said Jennifer Marshall.   

  Airbnb strongly encourages hosts to install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes, it says, and offers free detectors to hosts.   

  News of the deaths comes just months after reports that three Americans died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a Sandals resort on Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas.   

  Two couples reported feeling ill on the evening of May 5 and were seen by medical personnel, Bahamas police said.   

  The next day, Michael Phillips, 68, and his wife, Robbie Phillips, 65, of Tennessee, and Vincent Paul Chiarella, 64, of Florida, were found dead in their villas.  Chiarella’s wife, Donis, 65, was flown to the capital, Nassau, for further treatment before being flown to Florida.