DENVER – A teenager who hit his head after falling at Denver Academy Friday evening has died, according to the Denver Police Department.
The 17-year-old boy was hanging out with two friends Friday night when he fell, according to the boy’s parents who spoke with Denver7 off-camera Sunday morning.
The boy's father told Denver7 one of his son’s friends jumped and cleared what he described as a substantial gap, but when the boy tried to make the jump, he slipped and hit his head, sustaining critical injuries.
A GoFundMe page identified the victim as Paul Kinningham.
A friend who was with Kinningham on Friday told his mother the group was playing on the roof of Denver Academy.
A neighbor told Denver7 teens commonly climb onto the roof of the school. Denis Koval said he had always hoped a tragedy like this would never happen, but said it isn't unbelievable.
"They're running, taking pictures. You know, they're doing their teenager stuff," Koval said when describing what he's seen.
Father says the boys were jumping over some kind of gap at Denver Academy, his son tried to make the jump but slipped and hit his head. pic.twitter.com/u5tmDgudgE
— Alan Stedman (@AlanStedman7) April 9, 2017
Denver Police originally reported officers were investigating a death at the Denver Academy in the area of East Iliff Avenue and South Dahlia Street around 8:15 p.m. Friday, after a friend of the victim called police to report what was going on.
John White, a spokesperson with the Denver Police Department, told Denver7 during a press briefing that the fall “does not appear to be criminal in nature.”
White added at the the teenager and the other two boys who were with him were not students at the academy.
A Denver Academy spokesperson said the school is aware of Friday night's incident and are awaiting further details from authorities on the situation.
The Denver Academy is an independent, private day school serving grades 1-12 in Denver, according to its website.
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