Boy Crushed by Gate at Cabrini-Green
By Prescott Carlson in News on Jun 29, 2008 2:40PM
A 3-year-old's first time playing alone outside had a tragic ending when he was killed after a large security gate fell on him. While resident and director of the Coalition to Protect Public Housing Willie J.R. Fleming blamed "failed inspections" for Curtis Cooper's death, the property manager says that nothing was wrong with the gate, and that kids swinging on it caused the accident. Other residents, however, are attesting to their poor condition:
The gate was one of many placed on both sides of communal backyard areas shared by the row homes. On Friday, some were chained to their sideposts because the hinges were broken. A witness said the one that fell was not chained, but that the bottom hinge was not connected."The gate's been like that," Curtis' aunt, Lisa Springfield, said. "You can see the parts rusted."