Michigan middle school student dies after falling from school roof
A 14-year-old student at a Ypsilanti, Mich., middle school died after sustaining fatal injuries from a fall off the school's roof.
WXYZ-TV reports that Xavier Small, an eighth-grade student at Washtenaw International Middle Academy, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at the school.
Authorities believe Xavier may have been on the roof taking part in Parkour, a training regimen that involves running, climbing and jumping to overcome obstacles in natural and urban environments.
The boy's mother says he enjoyed Parkour, it’s unclear if that’s what he was doing when he fell.
The Ypsilanti school district is providing counselors to help students deal with their grief, Superintendent Benjamin Edmondson says.
"There are no words to properly convey the sorrow we feel," Edmondson says on the district's web page. "We send our deepest condolences to the family."
Video from WXYZ-TV:
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Mike Kennedy
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Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.