Family Remembers Child Killed By Fallen Tree At Melrose Playground

MELROSE, MA — The family of the child who was killed when a large tree fell on the Winthrop Elementary School is remembering their loved one with a memorial fund.

Zakaria Bel-Qaid, 9, was one of three taken to the hospital after the incident on Monday afternoon that solicited a heavy response from local police, emergency services, and the District Attorney’s Office. School and city officials announced Tuesday morning that Bel-Qaid had succumbed to his injuries.

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“It is with utmost sadness and grief that we announce the passing of our most beautiful boy, Zakaria,” Bel-Qaid’s family said in a statement Tuesday. “He spent his last moments laughing and playing tag with his little sister and friend.”

The family added that their son had just celebrated his ninth birthday a week before the incident, and that he was looking forward to turning a "double high five” next year when he turned 10 years of age.

“He was fun and incredibly loving, loyal, determined, confident, silly, stubborn, and the very best mama’s boy,” the family said about their son.

Instead of flowers and other traditional offerings, all proceeds to the Zakaria Bel-Qaid Memorial Fund will go toward Green Mountain Academy. Green Mountain Academy is a nonprofit ski and snowboard club based in Stowe, Vermont, that trains and provides scholarships for athletes as young as seven years old. Bel Qaid was an accomplished skier, winning a national championship in his age group for both the half pipe and ski cross as recently as last month.

“He loved to ski so much,” Bel-Qaid’s loved ones said. “It was absolutely everything to him and I’m so glad he had the best winter ever.”

The tree fell between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday afternoon from the neighboring Phineas Upham House on 255 Upham St. The home was built in the early 18th century and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990.

Upham Family Society Eda George said that the trees are regularly inspected and that three other trees were removed from the property this past Friday. Patch has yet to be able to reach representatives from the property for further comment.

Community members continue to leave flowers, drawings, and notes in memory of the nine-year-old at the playground. Winthrop said it is not responding to media inquiries at this time.

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