Boy, 8, Killed by Tombstone While Playing in Graveyard

A birthday party at an Arkansas church turned tragic this weekend when a freak accident left a little boy dead.

Officials say an 8-year-old was playing in a graveyard outside Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church near the town of Lynn Saturday when a large tombstone fell on him.

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According to accounts from the scene, the boy was playing on the grave when it broke.

The boy was air lifted to a medical center, where he was pronounced dead.

Detective Andrew Turner with the Lawrence County Criminal Investigation Division characterized the death as a tragic accident.

Pastor Jeff Neely described the victim as a lively boy, adding that church members are planning to help his family financially. 

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"Just an 8-year-old rambunctious young man, just like many 8-year-old young men and full of life," Neely told KAIT. "There is definitely a lot of prayer being sent up on behalf of their family."

The child's identity has not been released.

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