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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.