MILWAUKEE -- A 2-year-old child died on Milwaukee's north side Tuesday after falling from a window, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.
It happened around 4:15 p.m. near the intersection of N. 40th St. and W. Wright St. The Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the information on Twitter:
Initial reports indicate 2 yr old died after falling out window in the 2400 block of N 40-no further info to be released
— Medical Examiner (@mkemedexamine) August 24, 2016
Neighbors are in shock. They're used to seeing the toddler - known as "Little Mike" - smiling and playing outside. It's hard for them to believe he's gone.
"I was just praying in my head, like please God give him life," says Ceree Hall, who rushed into action. "Please help him. That's all I could think of at that point. I ran down there, got down, and started doing CPR. I checked his pulse, and didn't feel anything. I still did what I could."
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, initial reports indicate the toddler fell from a first-floor window. But neighbors say it's what led to the fall, that caused the most damage.
"I think he was trying to come out of the window feet first, and the window fell down on his neck," Hall says. "I noticed the trauma to his neck when I was doing CPR. He was just hanging from the window. Then, when they found him, they raised the window up, and he fell to the ground."
"Family was looking for him outside, yelling his name, trying to find out where he was for over a half hour before they realized he was stuck in the window," says neighbor, Barbara Gates.
All they can do now is pray for the toddler's grief-stricken family. This senseless death, hitting far too close to home.
"I just saw that baby lying there lifeless like that, and I thought of my own kids," Gates says. "I have a child that age. It's just a horrible tragedy."
Neighbors say the toddler's parents and grandparents were at work. They believe an uncle was home with the child.
Both Milwaukee Police and the Medical Examiner are investigating this death.
