By Gus Saltonstall
An 11-year-old boy was found dead within an Upper West Side migrant shelter on Monday evening, a police spokesperson told West Side Rag.
The unresponsive child was discovered about 5 p.m. inside the lobby of the Stratford Arms Hotel at West 70th Street, which is currently serving as a migrant shelter for families, police said.
He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
As of now, NYPD don’t suspect any criminality and believe it is a possible suicide, according to the NYPD spokesperson.
“It is devastating to lose a child, not only for the family, but for the community at the hotel,” Upper West Side Council Member Gale Brewer, who visited the migrant shelter on Tuesday morning, told West Side Rag.
If you’re depressed or thinking about suicide, you can call or text 988 for immediate help. The 988 Lifeline Chat and Text service is available 24/7. Your conversations are free and confidential.
UPDATE: Tuesday, 5:10 p.m.: Mayor Eric Adams stated during a press conference on Tuesday that the boy was found “with a shoelace around his throat.” The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is still determining an official cause of death.
While police stated that the boy was discovered in the building lobby of the shelter, it is unclear if the child was first rushed down from a room within the hotel, and the lobby was subsequently the point of first contact with authorities.
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Absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to the family.
Condolences to the family. These people have been through so much
Joe Biden ignoring immigration laws is destroying this country, and ruining lives. Blood is on his hands.
I honestly don’t know which is worse: your profound insensitivity in this case or your profound lack of knowledge of the immigration situation as a whole. Probably leaning towards sensitivity; you can always educate yourself on the laws that you misrepresent but being insensitive to the death of an 11 year old child is just heartless. And no amount of education can give a person a heart.
While you’re of course free to express your views, making this comment on this particular post is callous and opportunistic, and it says a lot more about you than about Biden, none of it good.
It is legal to seek asylum under both U.S. and international law.
Far less than half of asylum applicants to the US are approved (~20-40% depending on how anaylyzed) and it takes on average 6 years (!) to process asylum applications.
https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-what-percentage-of-immigrants-are-granted-asylum-in-the-u-s/20640989/
This is not healthy for the US, NYC, or the asylum applicants. And it was deadly for this child. Something has got to change.
Slow down the inbound.
Speed up the processing.
Make the federal government responsible for all asylum applicants, since only the federal government controls the asylum process.
Good question. But is it legal to seek asylum in the U.S. under false pretenses?
Many people make the same assertion that you make, thinking some cutesy legalistic non-statement is a meaningful ‘gotcha’. But it’s not. And we all know better. Even you.
What false pretenses are you assuming? Perhaps you are not familiar with all the bases on which asylum is available.
Work a few of these cases, and you may develop some compassion. The experiences these people have had are horrific.
And blaming Biden for the numbers is a bit surreal – they weren’t exactly down a lot under Trump; there was just more abuse (of people and of the law) once they were here. It is true that many people in other countries thought that because Biden was not spouting the viciousness that Trump so enjoyed, that there was a welcome mat set out for them, but that doesn’t mean it was true.
There is certainly, in my view, a problem at the border. I don’t know the answer, but I am confident that Trump didn’t have it either, and his actions were a stain on the honor of this country.
A child is dead. ‘Cutesy legalistic non-statement?’
How horrible—prayers for his family.
I am heartbroken to read this news. How tragic. I really hope his family is getting the support they need. I live down the street and would love to know if there is anything we can do to make the holidays a bit brighter for the families in this shelter. My thoughts are with this boy’s family.
Several churches have lists of families and what they need…check around – our church filled all the lists we were given
I wish they cared as much about local homeless.
And our veterans who bled for this country!
Who says they don’t? I’ve noticed that many of the folks who care for migrants are also very active in caring for the homeless, while many who make this comment do nothing for either. I’m curious about what you are doing, Peter, for the homeless?
This poor family. I can’t even imagine.
A child 11 years old.! That’s really a shame for the society as whole. Can’t imagine something as terrible as this.
A potentially preventable tragedy. Aren’t the shelter lobbies staffed 24/7? Especially for the safety of families living there.
Suicide of a child is especially tragic.
It happens more than people realize.
For example, the 2021 suicide of a 12 year old on the East Side.
https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/boy-jumps-to-his-death-from-upper-east-side-building/
It is still very rare thankfully. We need to know what exactly happen in this case and why the poor child felt no other option but to take their life.
Besides NYPD investigation, there may also be an investigation by NYC ACS
Not making a political statement for one side or the other . . .
The “crisis” (yes crisis) is being ignored. Our politicians have chosen to either do absolutely nothing or argue amongst themselves and in affect do nothing as well. Meanwhile, this poor child loses his life. I cannot for the life of me figure out why they are not controlling the influx. I am not saying to deny them entry, I am saying the flow needs to be regulated. It has reached dangerous and unmanageable levels for our city and our country.
The Mayor Adams created crisis.
Why? How did he create it?
A lot of people seem to think the migrants (refugees is a better word) come here on some sort of whim or lark. You don’t walk thousands of miles through a dangerous jungle on a whim. I hope we can show some respect for what they all go though, and how traumatic it is. Many have died, including children.
This is a good series where two youtubers follow the path of the refugees through Colombia and Panama (see link below).
My deepest condolences to the family and the community in that shelter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aswvkdCpZYc
The US can’t take in 600 million people.
Reading the comments below, I don’t think anyone mentioned that many migrants are driven from their homes by the drug cartels, who enter their town or village and order everyone to leave or they will die. Forced migration allows for no plan or time to apply for asylum or anything else. They just leave, with only what they can carry. It’s so tragic. Reading about this poor child is just heartbreaking.
How did child just appear in lobby/vestibule ?
Did they just materialize at 5:00 pm ?
From the picture it seems like there is always someone there.
I wonder what the facts are, not the narrative.
This is all thanks to corporate america selling an american dream that doesnt exist. The wealth is in the 1% this child died in a migrant shelter because he wanted a cellphone. Noone can afford housing unless their parents pay for them. This country sucks im done.
That’s just not true. Hundreds of kids I went to high school, children of penniless immigrants, have studied hard, worked hard and live in their own homes all over metropolitan area, including Manhattan.
Is there an investigation? An 11-year old committed suicide! Was it bullying at school, abuse, separation with a parent? We need to see why that happen to make sure it doesn’t happen again.