Mother searching for missing son, 6, tragically finds him dead after 80ft fall
Rhiannon Ingle
Featured Image Credit: Metropolitan Nashville Police Department
A mother who was searching for her missing six-year-old son tragically found him dead after falling from an 80ft balcony.
An official press release shared by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department earlier this week (13 May) states that the child, Kingston McWilliams, died on Tuesday night (12 May) after falling from the 8th-floor balcony of the apartment he shared with his mother at the 200 E. Webster high-rise in Madison, Nashville.
The child was rushed to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where he died shortly after arrival, officials say.
The police statement continues: "The child’s mother said she was in another room of the apartment for a brief time, and that when she returned to the living room, she did not see her son.
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"After searching the apartment and the 8th-floor hallway, she looked over the balcony railing and discovered him on the concrete below."
The release states that the grieving mother told officers that Kingston 'frequently attempted' to climb or lean over the balcony and had been repeatedly warned against doing so.
"The fall distance was determined to be 81 feet," the press release concluded.
Speaking to USA Today, police spokesman Don Aaron confirmed that no foul play is suspected in the tragic accident.
He added that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the child's cause and manner of death.
"She checked the hallway, the trash chute and ended her search for him by looking over the balcony and seeing him on the ground below," Aaron said.
"From everything we know, it appears to be a tragic accident," he added. "Just horrible."
Youth Services detectives are continuing to investigate the tragic incident.
Responding to the heartbreaking news, building resident Kevin Howell told WSMV: "It just provokes so many kinds of emotions in you."
Shaquan Mays added: "It’s definitely heartbreaking. It’s pretty scary. It makes you realise that you are not as safe as you think you are."
"It only takes a split second," Mays continued. "It’s kind of like one of those things you have to watch your kids. And you have to be vigilant of what’s going on. It just sucks for the parent because you know, it’s like, I’m a parent. I understand how it feels. It sucks to lose a kid, but at the same time, you have to be there for their well-being."
The resident added that Tuesday's incident has made him more cautious with his own children.
"I sit outside with mine anyway, but for sure I probably won’t let them go out there anymore," he said.
Tyla has reached out to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for further comment.