PHOENIX — A child who died during the Thanksgiving holiday after being crushed by a statue at the Arizona Biltmore has been identified as 8-year-old Luke Linnett of Iowa.
Linnett was laid to rest last Friday in his hometown where his is being remembered as a bright light with an infectious smile and kind spirit, according to an obituary.
On Nov. 27, Linnett was severely injured after one of the Biltmore's famous sprite statues toppled over. The boy died the following day from blunt force trauma, according the medical examiner.
Dennis Wilenchik, an attorney representing the boy's family, said he's in the process of investigating the fatal incident and released the following statement to 12News regarding the event at the Phoenix resort.
The family is still grieving obviously over this tragic and senseless loss of a young 8 year old boy who was the love of his mother’s life. She lost her husband and father of Luke a few years back to cancer so this is particularly heartbreaking and on Thanksgiving no less. Every parent can understand the grief she and her family are experiencing. There is simply no excuse or explanation for such a tragedy and although we understand no one intended this result, it should have been foreseeable and expected. We understand the hotel ownership recently changed and understand and appreciate their sympathy expressed and will be looking into the prior ownership’s involvement with these statues and who knew what and when of course in due time. It is a sad reminder though to make sure our children are safely protected at all times by businesses that have a responsibility to do so.
Police have previously said they observed no signs of foul play at the resort on the day of the incident.
The Arizona Biltmore shared this statement with 12News on Wednesday:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the family's loss and extend our heartfelt condolences. We wish them peace and respect their right to privacy during this difficult time. Our commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our guests is paramount and we continue to cooperate fully with all authorities investigating this incident.
Linnett's obituary describes the boy as a third grader with a big heart and great sense of humor. He was a budding athlete in several sports and always a team player.
The family created the Luke Linnett Memorial Fund to support youth sports scholarships in the Des Moines metro area. The fund is located at Midwest Heritage Bank, where they're accepting donations.