No criminal charges expected in freak accident death of Fort Worth 11-year-old

The family of the Fort Worth boy who died after he was impaled on an apartment complex fence says the 11-year-old was smart and kind.

Fort Worth police say Jean-Pierre Mwenge died Monday when he lost his footing while hopping the fence. Police say the fifth grader and others kids had just been told by security to leave a locked gated pool area that was off limits.

This is a case police and many others describe as a terrible and bizarre accident. The family has a lot of questions that they are hoping to get answered about how Jean-Pierre died.

Though just 11 years old, relatives say Jean-Pierre already had a bright future ahead.

“We lost a star in our family,” said Signe Mwenge, Jean-Pierre’s uncle.

Signe says the boy was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp to a Congolese family. He loved school and loved to play.

“He loved soccer,” Signe said. “That's things he loved.”

Jean-Pierre was playing Monday night at the Ladera Palms Apartments. According to police, a group of children entered a locked pool area. A security guard asked them to leave. Police say as the children scattered, Jean-Pierre slipped.

“Unfortunately, he impaled himself on top of this fenced area,” explained Fort Worth Officer Brad Perez.

Paramedics rushed Jean-Pierre to Cook Children's in Fort Worth. He was bleeding from injuries to his stomach area and chest. ER staff pronounced him dead a few minutes after he got there.

While police did collect evidence from the scene, they say it appears to just be a bad accident.

“There wasn't necessarily anything criminal as far as we're seeing this,” Perez said. “This is just an extremely unfortunate accident.”

Jean-Pierre's family has questions about what happened. They are now seeking legal help to try and understand the bizarre incident that took a little boy away from them.

Jean-Pierre was a fifth grader at Clifford Davis Elementary. The school district is making grief counselors available.