After 7-Year-Old's Death, City-Run Summer Programs Under Review, Facility Director on Leave

BOSTON, MA—A day after seven-year-old Kyzr Willis' body was found floating in the water off Carson Beach, the city has placed the executive director of the boy's summer program on paid administrative leave, as the city embarks on a full-scale assessment of policy at all its summer camps and drop-in programs.

Shortly after speaking to the child's family, Mayor Marty Walsh held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, saying he, the family, and the city are devastated by the child's loss.

"It's my hope and expectation as mayor that no family ever has to go through this type of loss. This is a tough day," he said, trailing off briefly. "Just—just a horrible day. It's very difficult to put in words."

A police investigation into the death in South Boston is ongoing, officials said in a press briefing this morning.

Willis, 7, was participating in a city-run, drop-in camp when he went missing early Tuesday afternoon. A search by the coast guard, K9 and multiple police units ended around 7 p.m. with the discovery of the boy's body in the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Curley Community Center in South Boston was closed Wednesday. It is operated by Boston Centers for Youth & Families, which ran the drop-in day camp Willis was in. It will reopen Thursday to adults and Monday to children.

Its executive director has been placed on paid administrative leave, as the city investigates the incident.

Walsh said between 50 and 70 children use the Curley Center's drop-in programs on a daily basis. It's one of dozens of BCYF facilities, which host hundreds of such programs.

The drop-in programs, which run all year, serve some of the neediest children in Boston, the mayor said. Often, their parents can't afford a tutor or summer camp.

"This is a last resort," he said, "... a safe haven."

Beginning last night, Walsh said, the city has started a full-scale review of protocol at Curley and throughout the system. Results will be available by the end of the week, he said.

"We're going to act quickly on any potential improvements," Walsh said. "Thousands of families entrust their kids to us every day in Boston, through our different programs, and we take this trust very seriously."

All this, he said, "is not going to bring back Kyzr."

But speaking to the boy's grandfather, Walsh said, he was told that, "if something positive can come from his grandson's death, that will give them a little bit of peace. But they were very upset today."

In a statement released Wednesday, Boston Centers for Youth & Families commissioner Will Morales said: “The entire BCYF community is absolutely heartbroken on the loss of Kyzr Willis and our deepest sympathies go out to this young boy’s family. BCYF will work closely with the Boston Police Department throughout the investigation.”

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans spoke Wednesday morning of the mass search to find the child, commending his officers for their effort. He said he'd spoken to members of the police harbor unit, who recovered the body.

"Nobody likes to pull a child from the water," he told reporters. "This was a tragic ending."

What, precisely, happened to the child is still unknown. And due to conflicting reports, Walsh and Evans said, police cannot yet pinpoint when and where the seven-year-old was last seen. Walsh deferred instead to local newspaper accounts, which suggest Willis was last seen coming out of the water around 2:15 p.m., at Carson Beach.

The police investigation is ongoing, and additional details will not be released at this time, Walsh said.

>> Photos via Masssachusetts State Police and courtesy Victoria Warren, WHDH 7 News