6-Year-Old Boy
Dies After Display Board Reportedly Lands On Him at School
Published
A 6-year-old boy lost his life Wednesday after a large video display board reportedly came crashing down on him at a Florida school.
The tragic incident occurred around noon at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay, FL, which is nearly 175 miles north of Miami, according to police.
Palm Bay PD Deputy Chief Nick Szczepanski told reporters that school staff quickly called 911 and administered first aid to the severely injured boy as police and paramedics raced to the scene.
The boy, identified by his family as Bellamy Dawkins-Morris, was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Szczepanski said, “On the surface, this appears to be a tragic accident,” but detectives from the Special Victims Unit were still “actively investigating” the case.
The Palm Bay police and Brevard Public Schools — which oversees Riviera Elementary — have not indicated how the display board fell on Bellamy. However, Bellamy’s family told a local news outlet that the boy was moving the display board when it tipped over and fell on him.
Bellamy’s great-aunt, Miriam Rodriguez, also said she expected the child to be safe and secure at the school, but “he didn’t return to us.” Rodriguez added, “My emotions, my sadness has subsided, and I am angry. We need answers, and we need them immediately.”
Dr. Mark Rendell, the district’s superintendent, called it an “incredibly difficult day” while reminding everyone that “we lost a life today, a precious young life, and there are no words to describe that loss.”
Rendell said he met with Bellamy’s family and “couldn’t find the words to share with them my grief and the grief that all of us have.”
