What medical examiner said about children who died in parking garage of Detroit casino

DETROIT – The medical examiner provided an updated timeline on the case of the children who died in the parking garage of a Detroit casino.

It may take some time before we learn the cause of death for those two children.

It happened Feb. 10 inside the Hollywood Casino parking structure off Beaubien Boulevard.

—> What we know: Detroit mother tried calling for help months before children froze to death in parking garage

Officials said five children were sleeping in a van parked inside the structure when the mother noticed her 9-year-old son was not breathing.

While at the hospital, officials said the children’s grandmother reported that one of the other children, a 2-year-old girl, was not breathing, and the friend returned to take her to the hospital as well.

Both children were pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Wayne County Medical Examiner released a statement regarding the children’s deaths on Thursday, Feb. 20, the same day as the children’s funeral.

The statement can be read in full below.

“The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to bring clarity regarding the cause and manner of the tragic deaths to these children. Death investigations under these circumstances require aggregating and interpreting information gathered from autopsy, investigations, and laboratory analyses, which can take several months. We appreciate the urgency of understanding cause and manner and offering closure to this mother and our communities, and we’re working as quickly as possible to render a final report.”

Wayne County Medical Examiner Dr. LokMan Sung

Resources

If you ever find yourself without shelter during cold temperatures, you can call the Detroit Housing Assistance Hotline at 866-313-2520.

A list of warming centers available in Detroit can be found on the city’s website.