Alfa Barrie and Garrett Warren.Photo: NYPD News/Twitter
Two boys who were found dead in separate New York City rivers days apart may have been roughhousing before both entering the water, according to multiple reports.
The bodies of both Alfa Barrie, 11, and Garrett Warren, 13, were located in the days after they were reported missing last week.
On Thursday,Warren’s body was foundin the Harlem River, according toCNNandCW affiliate WPIX. Barrie’s body was found two days later in the Hudson River near the Upper West Side, CNN andNews 12 New Yorkreported.
The boys may have been horsing around near the river before they entered the water, according to CNN,NBC affiliate WNBC, andCW affiliate WPIX.
A teenage boy allegedly told authorities that the two were playing when one of them shoved the other towards the water, reported WNBC and CNN, both citing law enforcement sources. The teen said he did not see them exit the water, per CNN.
After one of the boys went into the river, the other slipped and fell into the water as well, reported WPIX, citing police sources
The NYPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Democracy Prep Public Schools hasconfirmedthat Barrie was a student at one of its schools. The district said he was a “Democracy Prep scholar” who “immediately stood out” within the school’s community.
An educator from the school Barrie once attended told WNBC that the 11-year-old was a “funny, bright, witty, inquisitive and brave” 6th grader.
“He was a magical boy—funny, bright, witty, inquisitive, and brave,” Democracy Prep Public Schools said in its statement, published Saturday. “We honor the life of a beautiful soul, and will remember Alfa as someone who touched our hearts with his infectious joy and exceptional character.”
The district alsoshared a videoof Barrie dancing with his teacher and classmates. They said Barrie’s teachers say their classrooms are “not the same” without him.
“Alfa was someone who was a huge part of his school community—always lending a helping hand to his classmates and teachers, always showing his care and sweetness to his closest friends and family, and always living life with a smile on his face,” the district said alongside the video on Facebook.
Warren was a student at New Explorations Into Science, Technology and Math, or NEST+M, a public school in Manhattan, according toNBC News.
“He had so many hopes and dreams,” said a staff member who spoke to the outlet anonymously,
“Garrett was a kind, funny and goofy child who loved to make his peers and his friends laugh,” the staffer told the outet, going on to remember him as a student who “would often beg for more science homework.”“What happened is a true tragedy for our community,” the staff member added.
Separate GoFundMe campaigns have been started for each family. Both familiesthanked donorsfor their support, as they plan funerals for the children.
“Thank you for your love, support, and help during this heartbreaking time,” wrote Guineans Succeeding in America, which started thefundraiser for Barrie’s family.
source: people.com
