BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Family takes action after boy dies from brain-eating amoeba found at Texas splash pad

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

maylen

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

ARLINGTON, Texas (NewsNation Now) — The parents of a 3-year-old boy who died after allegedly contracting a brain-eating amoeba at a Texas splash pad filed a lawsuit Monday against the city.

“Bakari was a loving, energetic, passionate, sweet, beautiful, innocent boy,” said Tariq Williams, the boy’s father. “He didn’t deserve to die in this manner.”

Bakari Williams passed away in a hospital Sept. 11 after allegedly contracting the amoeba at an Arlington, Texas, park.

“He started off with a high fever,” said Kayla Mitchell, the boy’s mother. “It was like 102, pushing 103. And then from there, he didn’t want to eat, he didn’t want to drink. … We had to kind of basically help him go to the bathroom, because he was too weak to stand up.”

Arlington city officials announced last week human error might have played a role, admitting they found negligent gaps in conducting daily water tests.

The splash pad was open 100 days this year. No one tested the water on 64 of those days.

“A little chlorine and this child would have been here today,” said Stephen Stewart, the family’s attorney.

The family is asking for more than $1 million in damages. The city has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit.

“For us, this case is about public awareness,” said Tariq Williams. “The last thing that we want is for anyone else and their family to have to feel and go through what we are going through at this time.”

Southwest

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

51°F Sunny Feels like 51°
Wind
2 mph E
Humidity
48%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
47°F Partly cloudy skies. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph NNE
Precip
7%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous