The 8-year-old boy who died after part of a statue fell on him at the Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix has been identified as Luke Linnett from Iowa.
A memorial service was held Dec. 6 at the Lutheran Church of Hope-Waukee in Waukee, Iowa, to honor the boy who was a “bright light” to all those who knew him.
“Though his life was short, his impact was immeasurable, leaving a void in our hearts that will never be filled,” his obituary said.
Phoenix fire and police crews responded to the hotel near 24th Street and Camelback Road after receiving reports of an injured child just before 9 a.m. Nov. 27.
Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller said part of a concrete statue fell on the child and he was in extremely critical condition. Linnett died a day later, on Thanksgiving.
The 8-year-old’s death was due to blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The statue or “sprite” was one of a collection of 19 on the resort property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is still unclear why or how the sprite fell.
Linnett leaves behind his mother, Lauren; his siblings, Grace and Jack, his dog, Pippa; and his grandparents, aunts and uncles. His father, Jonathan, died in February 2022.
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“It was a tragic and horrible thing to happen on Thanksgiving, and his loss cannot be expressed in words. His family appreciates their privacy at this time while they grieve a loss that is beyond understanding,” the family’s attorney, Dennis I. Wilenchik, said in a statement.
“This should never have happened and is scary but also a reminder to us all to hold and cherish our loved ones and particularly young ones and give thanks to God every day for what we have and what is important in life.”
From the azcentral article here