Child dies after 50-foot fall at Lakers game [Updated]

A child is dead after falling 50 feet from the downtown Staples Center arena's luxury suites after the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors basketball game.

LAPD Sgt. Frank Alvelais said early Monday that the boy, believed to be 2 or 3 years old, was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he died. The boy's name hasn't been released.

The boy fell from the third-level top tier of the Staples luxury suites several minutes after the Lakers beat the Warriors 117-89 on Sunday night.

[Updated at 6:50 a.m.: The boy was moving his arms and legs as he was moved onto a stretcher, according to a witness who declined to be identified. He was taken to a local hospital.

An hour after the game, arena security officials could be seen examining and taking photos of a suite on the highest level on the west side of the building.]

-- Associated Press and Mike Bresnahan at Staples Center

[For the record, 7 a.m.: A previous version of this post said KTLA-TV reported it was believed the boy was taking pictures when he plunged to the concrete floor. A spokeswoman for KTLA says that report was incorrect.]

Comments

[TJ]

What a horrible tragedy. Prayers and condolences to the family

[dude]

So Sad.

[FatBobRob]

Huh? 2-3 year old taking pictures???

[Busterlhode]

Poor baby. But the way it is written you would think he was a prodigy. I didn't start taking pictures until I was 10. Where the hell were his parents?

[mc]

so incredibly sad and preventable.

[R Chapman]

I suppose my first reaction to this tragedy would be disbelief that the owner of Staple Center didn't foresee this eventuality when designing it. But then I have to ask myself, more importantly, why a small child is allowed to wander freely in an establishment primarily designed for adults who are presumably drinking and smoking while watching a basketball game. Who will be blamed for this? My bet Staples Center will be blamed for a poorly designed lounge while the so called parents or caregiver is given a pass. In my mind, if you willfully allow your child to wander freely about in a place with danger present at every turn while non-attentive adults are otherwise engaged is tantamount to negligent homicide at least. Please folks don't try and pass the blame on to a structure or to Staples Center - put the blame where it belongs with the parents or their assigned caregiver for this now dead child.

[JK]

Man what a tragedy....

[Broapsley]

This is a horrific and preventable death of an innocent child.

[Mike]

I've always thought that arenas, theaters, concert venues, etc should limit access by height just like Disney does on their rides for safety reasons. I don't know why someone can't hire a babysitter rather than take their 3 year old to an NBA game, but the only safe spot would be somewhere on the floor.

[rafa]

God bless the poor child's parents. They will forever feel regret over this tragic loss.

[Paul Cadman]

I go to several Lakers and Kings games in a luxe box on the thrid or top ring every season. I also attend the Grammys in the same box every year they are at Staples. How this could happen is beyond me - the plexiglass "front" of the two rows of stadium seats is high enough to stop this, and standing on the seats is the only possible way...I am saddened and shocked by this...

[Edgar]

"I suppose my first reaction to this tragedy would be disbelief that the owner of Staple Center didn't foresee this eventuality when designing it."

They did. The kid would have to have been standing on something to have gone over.

"an establishment primarily designed for adults who are presumably drinking and smoking while watching a basketball game"

Smoking??

[tony gonzalez]

did this reporter just report the score? 117-89, if so that BS, were talking about a child life, in this case the child is the most important part of the story, why give the score? OMG...

[Elvis]

I was at a Lakers game recently and seen a lady with what looked like an infant just born in her arms sitting on the floor seats next to the Lakers bench, I mean come on lady did you really have to bring your new born to a basketball game and sit in your lap on the floor where players always run out of bounds? Bad choices breed bad things. What a tragedy indeed...parents take note...not ever place is suited for your babies.