Falling tree kills 12-year-old boy playing in his backyard with friend, NJ cops say

A boy playing outside died after a tree fell on him, New Jersey officials said.

The 12-year-old boy was playing in his backyard with his friend when “gusty winds” caused the tree to fall, according to an Oct. 14 news release posted to Lawrence Township Police Department’s Facebook page.

Officers freed the boy from underneath the tree and started CPR, police said.

He was transported to the Capital Health System – Regional Medical Center, where he eventually died, officers said.

Police didn’t identify the boy, but in a letter sent to families by Superintendent of Schools Robyn A. Klim, he was identified as Lucas Schwartz, a seventh grader at Lawrence Middle School, according to WTXF.

McClatchy News reached out to the school district on Oct. 15 for a statement and was awaiting a response.

Officers said the Lawrence Township School District will provide counseling for students and staff, according to the release.

Therapy dogs and the Mercer County Traumatic Loss Coalition will be on school property to provide help, officials said.

Lawrence Township is about a 5-mile drive northeast of Trenton.

This story was originally published October 15, 2024 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Falling tree kills 12-year-old boy playing in his backyard with friend, NJ cops say."