The Florida district ordered checks of Promethean boards across its campuses while police investigate the fatal incident at Riviera Elementary.
PALM BAY, Fla. — Brevard Public Schools is inspecting Promethean video displays across its campuses after one fell on a 5-year-old student at Riviera Elementary School, killing him and raising questions about similar equipment used throughout the district.
Superintendent Mark Rendell announced the inspections Thursday, one day after Bellamy Dawkins-Morris was critically injured when a large interactive display fell at the Palm Bay school. Bellamy was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center after school employees and emergency crews tried to save him. He later died.
The district’s inspection order expands the response beyond Riviera Elementary as police continue working to determine why the display fell. Rendell said the district understands that the death could lead families and employees to question whether similar equipment at other schools is secure. He said the inspections would take place while officials await the findings of the investigation.
Rendell said Promethean boards used by Brevard Public Schools are installed by a licensed third-party vendor in accordance with manufacturer guidelines. The district had not publicly named that vendor in the reports reviewed Thursday, and investigators had not announced that faulty installation caused the Riviera Elementary display to fall.
Authorities also had not released a final account explaining whether the display’s mounting system, the equipment itself or another factor led to the incident. Palm Bay Police Deputy Chief Nicholas Szczepanski said Wednesday that the death appeared on the surface to be a tragic accident, but investigators from the Special Victims Unit, Major Case Unit and crime scene personnel were examining what happened.
The accident occurred around midday Wednesday, Oct. 7. School staff called 911 and began providing aid before first responders arrived, according to school and police officials. Bellamy was transported to the hospital, where medical personnel continued resuscitation efforts. He did not survive.
The district initially described the student as 6 years old before later clarifying that he was 5. Palm Bay police identified him Thursday as Bellamy Dawkins-Morris. School officials had initially withheld his identity because of the family’s privacy.
Rendell met with Bellamy’s family after his death. District officials said counseling and other support services would be available to students and employees at Riviera Elementary as the school community deals with the loss. Bellamy’s relatives have also publicly sought answers about how the display could have fallen inside the school.
The district said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement and would provide more information when it becomes available and is appropriate to release. ABC News reported Thursday that Promethean, the display manufacturer, had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Inspections of the district’s Promethean boards were underway Thursday as the police investigation remained open. Officials had not released inspection results or announced a definitive cause of the fatal incident.
Author note: Last updated October 8, 2026.