Apr 16, 2009 6:07 am US/Eastern
NYPD: Boy Wearing 'Parachute' At Time Of Plunge
Friends: 9-Year-Old Jumped From Roof Of 13-Story Building, May Have Been Imitating "Smackdown" Game
Domori Miles Tied Black Bag To Arms, Thought He Could Glide
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Members of the community held a vigil on April 15 to mourn the loss of a 9-year-old boy who police said jumped to his death off a 13-story building thinking a makeshift parachute would help him glide.
CBS
Candles were lit and toys were left behind Wednesday night to honor the memory of a 9-year-old who police say hatched a disastrous plan. He launched himself from the roof of a 13-story building on Bergen Street in Crown Heights.
From the hands of neighborhood children balloons soared for a boy police say died because he thought he could make himself glide.
"He believed what he saw. He was a good kid," a family friend said.
Other friends of the family said 9-year-old Domori Miles' favorite video game, Smackdown vs. Raw, may have inspired him to try something super human.
Police said while his mother was running an errand, Domori used a large plastic bag tied to his arms. He then went to the roof using a door that had no alarm. He got over the fence and plunged to his death.
Neighbor Jeffrey Banks caught a glimpse of the boy falling.
The makers of the video released a statement:
"In the video game Smackdown vs. Raw, which is rated T for Teens, none of the characters jump off buildings or use parachutes."
Too distraught to join the vigil was Domori's mother, who CBS 2 HD cameras captured in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
"She came home from a quick errand and her boy is dead," a neighbor said.
A police officer now guards access to the rooftop as parents throughout this building have heart to heart talks with their kids about what happened to Domori and how to stay safe.
The city Housing Authority, which owns the complex, said the roof is fenced and off-limits to residents.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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