DETROIT – The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the cause of death for the two children who died in the parking garage of a Detroit casino.
The 2-year-old and the 9-year-old died from carbon monoxide toxicity.
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It happened Feb. 10 inside the Hollywood Casino parking structure off Beaubien Boulevard.
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.
“DPD received the medical examiner’s report which determined that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. We will continue investigating the facts and circumstances of the case and submit our findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.”
Detroit police Chief Todd A. Bettison
The Wayne County Medical Examiner released a statement regarding the children’s deaths on Thursday, March 5.
The statement can be read in full below.
“The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the cause of death for 2-year-old A’Millah Currie and 9-year-old Darnell Currie, Jr. as carbon monoxide toxicity. The manner of death for both children is accident.
Complete examinations were performed at the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office on February 11, 2025, and, after the return of relevant studies, the cause and manner of death were certified on March 5.”
Wayne County Medical Examiner Dr. LokMan Sung
Toxicologist explains how carbon monoxide could’ve impacted children
Local 4 talked with toxicologist, Dr. Aimee Nefcy, about how this could have happened.
Nefcy said the carbon monoxide could have been from an internal leak with the van or it could have been filtered in from the exhaust through an open window.
“Once (carbon monoxide) gets inside the van, it settles to the bottom because it’s heavier than normal air and it layers down on the bottom of the van,” Nefcy said. “It doesn’t circulate out because all the windows are up higher than where the carbon monoxide is sitting. And I’m sure the children were sleeping on the floor.”
Toxicologist Dr. Aimee Nefcy
She said children are smaller and therefore it takes less carbon monoxide to impact a child than the amount needed to impact an adult.
Nefcy said the freezing temperatures may have made matters worse.
“If they did have a little bit of hypothermia, you’re not going to respond as well to not being able to breathe. It’s like a triple whammy: they were sleeping, it was cold, and there was carbon monoxide.”
Toxicologist Dr. Aimee Nefcy
Resources
If you ever need shelter during cold temperatures, 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.
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