The family of the 14-year-old who died when a wall collapsed on him at Robins Air Force Base wants to know if there are structural problems at other military bases, and they’re considering a lawsuit.
Gabriel Stone, his brother, and two other teenage boys visited the Heritage Pool at the Air Force base in Warner Robins on the afternoon of July 22 . They were inside the men’s locker room when a wall suddenly collapsed on the teenagers, according to the Houston County Coroner’s Office. Stone was taken to Houston Healthcare, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. His family members watched in tears as their attorneys led a Tuesday press conference in Macon, raising concerns about safety.
Rod Edmond, one of the attorneys investigating the incident on behalf of the Stone family, said he was instructed by the family to not be in “fingerpointing mode.” Still, he and attorney Shofaetiyah Watson say they want the obvious questions answered regarding the wall collapse, saying that the Stone family is owed answers.
“When (the facility) was constructed, was it constructed appropriately?” asked Edmond. “Was it properly inspected? What notice was there that the structure of that wall — that cinderblock wall that crushed this young man — was unstable?”
Edmond, who’s a military veteran, said the structures in all military bases in the United States are constructed by the same company, which prompted him to wonder if all structures have similar hazards. If they do, Edmond said it is “an opportunity to go in, investigate and fix that, so that no other family ever has to undergo and experience the grief and anguish that this family is feeling right now.”
“I’m letting you know that there’s a real possibility that there are other facilities that have walls that are unstable, that weigh thousands of pounds and could kill people,” said Edmond.
The attorney credited the personnel of the Robins Air Force Base, saying that their communication with them suggested they were going to be transparent in answering their questions. The personnel also assured the attorneys that the accident site would be preserved for them to conduct an independent investigation of the incident.
Lastly, Edmond mentioned that they wanted to file a Federal Tort Claims Act on Tuesday, but are waiting on Stone’s autopsy report to be delivered to file the case with the federal courts. Depending on their investigation, they intend to sue the appropriate entities they believe are responsible for the wall collapse and Stone’s death.
Gabriel Stone was ‘resilient’
Stone was the youngest of five children and was looking forward to attending Northside High School in Warner Robins and playing sports, Watson said. The Stone family said the teenager was “resilient,” according to Watson.
“I spent every summer trying to get him to be the best man he could be,” said Camalle Stone, Gabriel’s father. “One of the things that I love about him was that he had an honest heart. He really truly loved everybody.”
Stone’s mother, Timberly Stone, said he was capable, vibrant and always wanted to see everybody with a smile on their face.
“Words really can’t express like how I feel with his death,” said Stone’s mother. “I just don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
Family raises money for victims
The family of two of the teens who were injured after the wall collapsed created a GoFundMe to help out with medical bills. Half of those donations will be given to the Stone family, according to the fundraiser.
“My nephews are going to have lifelong problems being a part of this incident,” said Tasha Renee Filipponi, organizer of the fundraiser and aunt of Gabriel and Xavier.
Although Xavier only suffered minor injuries as a result of the wall collapse, Gabriel suffered a collapsed lung, five broken ribs, crushed muscles and bruised organs, according to Filipponi’s GoFundMe page.
The fundraiser had 13 donations totaling $720 as of Tuesday afternoon. The fundraiser’s goal is $6,000.
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