Aug. 9 update: Death of teen found near B.C. skate park believed to be overdose, police say
The family of a teenage boy who died suddenly after some kind of incident in a Langley skate park says they want answers about what happened.
Fourteen-year-old Carson Crimeni was seen by witnesses in the early afternoon near the Walnut Grove Community Centre amid a group of boys taunting him and recording videos of him as he looked unwell.
And his unconscious body was found by several other boys in a park north of the community centre around 10 p.m. – the first time anyone called 911 in the case, said Carson’s grandfather, Darrel Crimeni.
“He was just trying to fit in,” Crimeni said. “How can you do that to somebody? He had just turned 14. He didn’t deserve this.”
Carson was a very social child who liked to play hockey and was a Grade 9 student at Walnut Grove Secondary School, Crimeni said. He died in hospital later that night. Doctors were unable to determine what he had ingested that was the likely cause of his death, he said.
Those videos were shared on social media platforms like Snapchat and Facebook, said one girl, who told CTV News she saw the boys at the skate park.
“Everyone was filming what he was doing and just laughing at him. No one stopped,” said Emily Bonin.
“It makes me really upset,” said another girl, Olivia Werner. “He was a really good friend to us and didn’t deserve to die.”
Several students at nearby Walnut Grove Secondary School passed by the skate park, dropping off flowers and signs.
One said a vigil is planned for Thursday evening.
A 17-year-old who paid his respects said he wished that he could have known Carson better.
“Nobody deserves to die like that at such a young age,” said Christian Lussia. “I think it’s disrespectful to be sharing (videos). You shouldn’t have them in the first place. You should have helped him.”
An email that was sent out to Walnut Grove Secondary School students' families describes the teenager as an "important member" of the community, and urges parents to discuss the tragedy with their children.
"We cannot anticipate how far-reaching the impact of this news may be on staff and students," it reads. "Recognizing that this is difficult subject matter to discuss with your child, we ask for families to share this news with their children. It is important that each family handle this with their child in their own unique way."
The BC Coroners Service told CTV News it has been called to investigate the boy's death, but that it's too soon to comment on a potential cause.
A second investigation is also underway by B.C.'s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, which is tasked with probing any incident involving police that results in death or serious injury.
It's unclear why the IIO was notified of the Crimeni's death, but the agency said "police were in proximity" at the time
