Boston

‘Our Community Is in Mourning': Boston Schools Grieve Loss of 4-Year-Old

The body of Mohamed Abou Fofana was found on the shore of one of the Boston Harbor islands on Monday after he went missing a day earlier

Mohamed Fofana

The Boston Public Schools community is in mourning after one of its students was found dead on Monday.

The body of missing 4-year-old Mohamed Abou Fofana was found on the shore of one of the Boston Harbor islands, state police in Massachusetts said Monday. He had been playing at a park on Castle Island on Sunday when he went missing. His mother said he had autism and was non-verbal, and had a tendency to wander off.

Mohamed, who lived in South Boston, was reportedly playing with his grandfather, who lost sight of him and then called 911.

Mohamed was a pre-K student at the Lee K-8 School in Dorchester, and Boston Public Schools issued a statement Monday after learning of his death.

"Our community is in mourning following the tragic news that Mohamed Fofana, a pre-K student of the Lee K-8 School community, has passed away," a spokesperson for the school district said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and school community during this difficult time."

Boston City Councilor At-Large Julia Mejia also issued a statement Monday on Twitter offering her condolences to Mohamed's family.

"We can’t express the deep pain we feel over the tragic passing of 4-year-old Mohamed Fofana of South Boston. Our condolences are with the family," she said.

Police began a search for Mohamed on Sunday night that resumed Monday morning, and the body was found around midday at Spectacle Island. Police said the body would be transferred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and an investigation would follow.

Spectacle Island is over a mile from Castle Island in Boston Harbor. The two-day search by air, water and land stretched as far south as Hull and north to Deer Island, but was focused on a stretch of water between Dorchester Bay and the Boston Main Channel, according to police.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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