As the sun began to set Tuesday evening, community members gathered in front of the Quality Inn & Suites at 1265 S. 11th St. to mourn the loss of 13-year-old Bryan Douglas-Watts.
Huddled under the hotel’s sign bordering S.11th Street, dozens of people clutched silver balloons to add to a growing memorial paying tribute to the teen’s life. Among the balloons, a signed basketball was nestled along with stuffed animals and two poster boards filled with words about Bryan, referring to him as “Lil’ Soldier,” because he always fought for those around him to have a better life, family said.
Three days before the memorial, Bryan died when an undetected carbon monoxide leak poisoned the air where he was swimming with friends during a birthday party. In addition to Bryan, six other children were hospitalized. The other victims have since been released from the hospital and some were in attendance at Tuesday’s memorial.
Bryan was a student in the Niles Community Schools’ W-A-Y Forward Program. He loved basketball and football and listening to his favorite song “Tru” by the artist Llyod.
As family, friends and community members lit candles, tears streamed down their faces. But as they shared memories about the teen who had an affinity for making people laugh even when they were hurting, they could not help but smile.
For Bryan’s cousins Endyia Kirtdoll, 12, and Torianna Young, 12, the teen was like an older brother who looked out for them and could keep them laughing even at themselves.
When Young tripped one day, Bryan teased her to the point where Young was laughing, too. At the park, where Bryan liked to hang out, he would play basketball game “around the world,” making wild shots just to make people laugh.
When the girls needed to walk home, Bryan would walk with them to make sure they got home safely.
“He worried about others,” Kirtdoll said.
Bryan told his cousins they could come to him with any problem and he would try to help them out. These were among the last words the cousins remember hearing Bryan say.
A former long-time neighbor to Bryan and his family, Kandice Danzy, of Cassopolis, said Bryan’s personality stood out from the other children.
“He was always a little man,” Danzy said. “With his kind heart and the way that he spoke.”
Bryan was reserved and patient, not rambunctious like most his age, Danzy said.
Alona Young, a friend of Bryan’s mother, Paula, said he always hoped to make his family proud. Young said Bryan was like a son to her. True to his wise-beyond-his-years character, she said Bryan was always working hard and willing to help anyone out.
If the other children were jumping in the piles of leaves, Bryan was likely to be patiently raking them, they said.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up by Paula Watts to help pay for the funeral costs.
“Words cannot bring my child back,” Paula said. “I just want him to have the homegoing he wanted to have.”
Donations have poured in to help the family. More than $5,500 has been raised so far.
At the memorial, Paula thanked the community for showing her support.
Many questions surrounding the carbon monoxide leak remain unanswered.
Authorities with the Niles police, fire department and building division are in the process of conducting an investigation into the carbon monoxide leak, according the city of Niles.
According to the release, the city anticipates the investigation will wrap up by the end of the week.
“We are very aware that the families and the community are anxious for answers to their questions about this tragic situation,” the release stated. “We ask the community for their understanding that a thorough and unbiased investigation takes a reasonable amount of time to complete.”