Kyle Davis is the second of seven students identified who died at Plaza Towers Elementary after a monster tornado demolished the school and everything else in its path in Moore, Oklahoma on Monday afternoon. The mile-wide tornado registered as an EF5-the very worst a tornado can get-and leaft 24 dead, including nine children. Here’s what you need to know about the tragic death of 8-year-old student Kyle Davis.
1. Kyle Davis Was a Third Grader at Plaza Towers Elementary
Kyle Davis was among the seven children that died at Plaza Towers Elementary when the massive tornado ripped apart the school he and his third grade class were taking shelter in, reports the Daily Mail. He was an active student who played soccer, recevied As and Bs in school and even sang in a choir.
“He was just a sweet loveable little boy,” said Kyle’s 35-year-old mother, Mikki Dixon. “He loved to play soccer, soccer was his life. He liked four wheelers, going to the Monster Jam (truck) show. I’m going to miss him and I love him very much.”
2. His Family Was Mistakenly Believed He Was Alive
Dixon said that she mistakenly believed that her son was alive because initial reports said that the tornado had not touched Plaza Towers Elementary. As the night went on she learned that the school actually took a direct hit. Dixon sent the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner a picture of Kyle on Tuesday morning and it was tragically confirmed that he was one of the children who had died.
3. He Died Instantly
Kyle’s mother was told he died instantly after a beam hit his neck as he and his classmates took cover in a hallway.
“They said that he died instantly, that some debris fell on the back of his neck and pushed his head into the cement,” Dixon said. “We saw him today (in the morgue) and it looks like he’s got a broken nose. He’s just in a better place now. I miss him a lot, and I’ll see him another day. He’ll say ‘come on mum, what took you so long?’”
4. Kyle’s 11-Year-Old Sister Survived
Kyle’s 11-year-old sister, Kaylee, was also in the elementary school when the tornado hit, but she survived as she was able to crawl to safety.
5. Student Ja’Nae Hornsby Also Died
Nine-year-old Ja’Nae Hornsby was the first of the seven children who died at Plaza Towers Elementary on Monday afternoon. Members of her family gathered at Baptist church in Oklahoma City to console each other on Tuesday after a night of searching for their little girl. They were informed of the devastating news at 9 a.m. that their little girl’s body was at the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office.