A 19-year-old American teenager, Tumusifu Bazirake, has d!ed after he was allegedly att@cked by several people following a neighborhood football match in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bazirake was playing soccer with his brother, Jeanpaul, against a group of strangers at Sueno Park on August 6 at around 8 p.m. when a confrontation reportedly broke out after the match.
According to Jeanpaul, the opposing players became angry after losing the game and allegedly began pushing and att@cking them.
“Then (they were) b3ating us, pushing us, cause we scored on them, and they got mad and all that,” Jeanpaul told WKYC.
Teen Allegedly B3aten While Protecting His Brother
Jeanpaul said the situation escalated after he blocked a punch from one of the opposing players. He recalled that several people then surrounded him, prompting his brother to step in.
“After (an opposing player) threw a punch, I blocked it. Then they just jumped on me, all of them. Then that’s when my brother jumped in, too,” he said.
Jeanpaul described the horrifying moment he saw his brother lying defenseless on the ground while the att@ckers allegedly continued b3ating him.
“I tried to turn around, then he was on the ground, and they were just stepping on him while he’s on the ground. Stepping, kicking, punching — all that,” he told the outlet.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, the att@ckers fled the park after realizing Bazirake was unresponsive.
Fire officials found him unconscious and transported him to a local hospital in extremely critical condition.
Bazirake succumbed to his injuries on August 13, leading authorities to launch a homicide investigation. His remains were handed over to the Office of the Medical Examiner, with the exact cause of d3ath pending an autopsy.
No arrests have been made, and police have not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest.
Family Mourns Teen With Dreams of Becoming a Firefighter
Bazirake’s family told WKYC that he was preparing to begin his first semester at a community college on August 24.
His family said he had dreams of becoming a firefighter after completing his education.
His mother, speaking through a translator, said her son loved school, valued his education and wanted to become a firefighter because he wanted to “help people.”