Earlier this year, the Stratford Arms at 117 West 70th Street was converted to house migrants. Photo by Bobby Panza.
Per a follow up report by the Daily News, police sources say the eleven-year-old boy found dead at the Stratford Arms (117 West 70th Street) this week had hung himself after an argument he had with his parents.
According to the source, the boy wanted to use his parents’ cell phone and they wouldn’t let him.
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At some point, the boy went into his bedroom and his parents later found him unconscious with a shoelace around his neck. Upon this discovery, his parents rushed him to the lobby looking for someone to help.
Fellow residents of the building, which is currently operating as a housing facility for migrant families, told the Daily News they had heard the boy’s mom scream after finding her son in his state.
“Everyone was shocked, screaming, scared,” a fellow resident told the outlet. “Everyone heard those screams. That was when it happened. He went down and they brought him downstairs.”
Police and firefighters unsuccessfully tried to save the boy’s life. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6 p.m.
Mayor Adams was asked about the tragic event during a Tuesday press conference, and while he didn’t have much information specific to this incident, he did reflect on some concerning statistics regarding mental health and young people.
“I think the last number I looked at, 17 percent of our children in high school have serious suicidal thoughts,” the mayor stated. “These are some very scary moments for our children, and it’s very painful. It hurts a lot.”
Adams continued, “You start to ask, did you do enough? Should we have done more? And we know we’ve done all we could possibly do with what we have, but it hurts a lot. There’s a human part of this job.”
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“I remember seeing pictures of second graders who were, you know, making pictures and doing suicidal ideation,” added Deputy Mayor Williams Isom, referencing his time at the Harlem Children’s Zone. “And I think about what’s happening for our society right now. I think about the migrants in particular. I think about this post Covid world and all of the anxiety and stress and depression that we’re under and sort of just doing our best to make sure that people have what they need.”
UWS Councilmember Gale Brewer told the Daily News that the eleven-year-old boy was the family’s only child, and while social workers had been sent to help the parents and other families in the building, it just isn’t enough. “She wants to see more help for migrants in acclimating to life in the Big Apple.”
