Five-year-old killed when display board falls at Florida school

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 22:25 · Archive

Bellamy Dawkins-Morris, 5, was killed when a large display board fell on him at Riviera Elementary School in Florida on 7 October.

Bellamy Dawkins-Morris, 5, an autistic boy, was killed at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay, Florida on 7 October when a large display board fell on him. The Daily Mail reports that he was pushing the 120-pound board back and forth when it unlatched and fell on top of him. Staff at the school called emergency services at approximately 11.36 am and attempted emergency life-saving measures before the child was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Brevard Public Schools superintendent Mark Rendell made a statement following the tragedy. 'We lost a life today, a precious young life; there are no words to describe that loss,' he said, adding that in over 30 years of work he 'really couldn't find the words to share with them my grief and the grief that all of us have'.

The boy's family is seeking answers about how the accident occurred. His great-aunt told the New York Post 'They should've been paying attention to him better'. His grandmother and great-aunt expressed their grief to local media. The school district is now rushing to inspect all Smartboard-style displays and similar equipment across its schools, stating that 'Promethean boards across the District are installed by a licensed third-party vendor in accordance with manufacturer guidelines'.

How it is being reported

• Florida 5-year-old killed when digital whiteboard falls on him at school: officialsThe district is now rushing to inspect all of its Smartboard-style displays across schools.New York Post · 8 Oct, 22:08
• Little boy killed by falling electronic display board is pictured, as school tells family he was pushing it back and forth before it toppled on himAn autistic little boy was killed in a Florida elementary school under staff supervision after a 120-pound display board fell on top of him.Daily Mail · 8 Oct, 15:22

In this story: Bellamy Dawkins-Morris · Riviera Elementary School · Brevard Public Schools · Palm Bay · Florida

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem