Losing a child has to be the literal worst thing a parent can experience. Whether they were sick or it was a freak accident, the pain of losing your baby is incomprehensible, and unfortunately a Seattle family is currently grappling with just that. Mattheis Johnson, 15, was attending a pop-up concert at the historic Seattle Gas Works Park, known for its huge structure, when he fell 50 feet to his death.
The incident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. according to witnesses, though no details of how or why he fell have emerged.
“This week, our school and community mourn the loss of one of our students, Mattheis Johnson. With permission from his family, we share this tragic news. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” principal Abby Hunt wrote in a letter that was shared by Seattle Public Schools with People. “Mattheis died following an accident, and his passing comes as an unexpected shock to all those who knew him.”
A GoFundMe was set up to help his parents cover end-of-life costs, including a funeral and time for the family to grieve.
The organizer wrote: “Many described him as having an old soul. He sang, produced his own music on Spotify, loved deep conversations, fashion, ran track, and played ultimate frisbee for Ballard High School. He was constantly making new friends and was never afraid to show a sweet, open-hearted love for his mom—even in public… His friends remember him as someone who never spoke an unkind word, made people laugh, and who inspired others simply by being himself.”
It also revealed that Mattheis was a musician himself, and that the morning of the accident, he released a teaser track for his upcoming second album.
