A 5-year-old boy died on October 7 after a 120-pound video display board fell on him at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay, Florida. His family is now asking whether the board was secured and whether he was supervised closely enough.
Brevard Public Schools said the boy, whom his family identified as Bellamy Dawkins-Morris, was seriously injured when a Promethean video display board fell on him around 11:36 a.m. School staff called 911 and began lifesaving measures. He was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where he died, WESH reported.
"We are heartbroken to share that the child has died as a result of the injuries," the Palm Bay Police Department said in a statement. The department's Special Victims Unit and Major Case Unit are investigating.
"On the surface this appears to be a tragic accident," Deputy Chief Nick Szczepanski said at a news conference, according to Cox Media Group. Police and the district have not said what made the board fall.
The family has its own account. Bellamy's mother was told he was moving the display board back and forth while other students were lining up, and then it tipped over and fell on him, relatives told WESH. The family said Bellamy had autism.
"He's on the spectrum. When he sees things in motion, he's gonna keep pushing it to keep it in motion," said Miriam Rodriguez, his great-aunt. "Obviously, the monitor was not secure, and that's a huge issue. That could have been anybody's child."
His grandmother, Christy Rodriguez Bruno, said the family believed he should have been safe at school. "He was supposed to be in a safe place enjoying his little five-year-old self," she said.
Another great-aunt, Melissa Rodriguez, said the family believes his death could have been prevented. "I'm angry because it could have been prevented if they were paying attention to him," she said. The family told WESH it is seeking accountability and legal counsel.
Superintendent Mark Rendell said he met with Bellamy's family shortly after his death. "We lost a life today, a precious young life. There are no words to describe that loss," Rendell said.
In a written statement, the district said, "We are devastated by this unimaginable loss. Our deepest condolences are with the student's family, loved ones, classmates, and everyone in our school community who is grieving." Counseling and other support will be available for students and staff in the coming days, the district said.
WESH said it asked the district and the police department about the family's questions, including classroom supervision and the display board, and had not received an answer.
Riviera Elementary enrolled 718 students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the 2024-25 school year, including 107 kindergartners, according to federal data. It is one of 109 public schools in the Brevard County school district, which enrolled 73,577 students that year.
Sources
WESH 2: Family demands answers after video display board falls on boy at Palm Bay school, killing him
Cox Media Group: 5-year-old student killed after large video display falls at Florida elementary school
School and enrollment figures from allk12's analysis of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
