‘I just want answers’ Family of teen killed in elevator accident speaks out

ATLANTA — The parents of a teen football player returned to Atlanta to demand answers as to how their son was crushed to death by an elevator.

Jaumarcus McFarland died Aug. 31 after he became trapped between the second and third floors of an Atlanta high-rise off Highland Avenue.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones attended a news conference held Tuesday by McFarland’s family and attorneys.

“My son came here to do what he liked to do. Play football. He really enjoyed that. He wasn’t able to fulfill that. I just want answers. I am overwhelmed by the whole thing,” his mother Jessica Moore said.

McFarland’s parents said they aren’t getting straight answers to their questions and was told their son died of a heart attack. The family’s attorneys said it was asphyxiation.

“I would just like to know what happened,” his stepfather James Boyce said. “It didn’t make any sense to me. How can you make kids responsible for an elevator accident?”

Boyce said the death of his stepson has left a lot of people with broken hearts. The family has hired attorneys to get to the bottom of what happened.

“We will look into the apartment complex owners to the Champion Prep Academy,” attorney Sam Starks said.

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McFarland attended Champion Prep Academy and lived in the building with several other football players.

On Aug. 31, McFarland and his teammates got struck on an elevator. Something went wrong and McFarland was left pinned by the elevator between two floors and died.

Boyce said he initially got a call saying McFarland was stuck in an elevator and was going to be fine. The next call he was dead.

“I said what do you mean he didn’t make it. He was stuck inside of a box in an elevator. How would he not make it. He said he had a heart attack,” Boyce said.

The family’s attorneys said the elevator and apartment building were not safe.

“The law is clear. You can have up to 18 people on the elevator and it wasn’t even close to that,” attorney Shean Williams said. “This happened because just straight arrogance neglect.”

Many people who live in the high-rise previously told Jones they had complained repeatedly about the elevator malfunctioning.

The state has confirmed the elevator that crushed McFarland was a year past due for inspection. A photo was given to Channel 2 Action News that shows the elevator was last inspected in August of 2019.

The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire, which oversees the state’s elevators, said it’s the building owner’s responsibility to request inspections and the state says it has no record of any recent requests for the building.

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An elevator consultant who Channel 2′s Justin Wilfon spoke with said when they’re not inspected, elevators can develop problems quickly.

“Very quickly. They’re all mechanical parts,” elevators consultant Andy Kohl said. “A lot of people don’t do the proper work to make it safe until a major accident occurs.”

Jones received a statement from Nathan Phillips, Property Manager at 444 Highland Avenue NE, that said:

“First, we want to offer our sincere condolences to the family of this young man, his teammates, and his friends. The state inspectors will release their findings in due course, so it would be inappropriate for us to discuss full details until that report is complete.

“What we can say is the weight capacity of the elevator was 3000 lbs. — but the 16 young athletes who were inside the elevator when this occurred pushed that limit to nearly 4000 lbs. Unfortunately, this appears to be what started the domino effect of events leading to the unfortunate death of this young man. This is a horrible tragedy, and it deeply saddens us all that this has happened.”

The family disputes how many people were on the elevator and if that caused to malfunction. The family also said there is surveillance video of the accident but they believe it was altered.

Jones asked a spokesperson for the apartment management about the video. She said she had no additional comments at this time.

The team has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral expenses and said they plan to dedicate the season in his honor.

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