A Florida family is seeking answers and accountability after a 120-pound video display board fell on a five-year-old boy at Riviera Elementary School, United States, leaving him fatally injured.
The child, identified by relatives as Bellamy Dawkins-Morris, was autistic. According to Brevard Public Schools, the incident occurred at about 11:36 a.m. on Wednesday when a Promethean video display board fell on the boy.
School personnel immediately contacted emergency services and began efforts to save Bellamy before he was transported to a hospital. He later died from his injuries, according to the school district.
Bellamy’s relatives said they have been left devastated by the tragedy and are demanding to know how the incident happened and whether it could have been prevented.
“We’re expecting him to be safe. He didn’t return to us,” said Bellamy’s great-aunt, Miriam Rodriguez. “My emotions, my sadness has subsided, and I am angry. We need answers, and we need them immediately.”
Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell said he met with Bellamy’s family after learning of the boy’s death and expressed sympathy over the loss.
“We lost a life today, a precious young life. There are no words to describe that loss,” Rendell said. “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and I really couldn’t find the words to share with them my grief and the grief that all of us have.”
Relatives said Bellamy’s mother was informed that the boy had been moving the display board back and forth shortly before it toppled over. The circumstances have prompted the family to question whether the equipment had been adequately secured and whether the child was being sufficiently supervised at the time.
Melissa Rodriguez, another of Bellamy’s great-aunts, said the family believes the tragedy might have been avoided with closer attention to the boy.
“I’m angry because it could have been prevented if they were paying attention to him. I’m not saying he doesn’t do things that he shouldn’t do, but this child did not deserve to not be here anymore,” she said.
The Palm Bay Police Department has opened an investigation into the incident, with its Special Victims Unit and Major Case Unit involved in determining the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.
As authorities investigate, Bellamy’s family said it is seeking accountability and has begun pursuing legal counsel over the tragedy.
