Friends and family gathered Friday at Hialeah’s McDonald Park to remember Davonte Macklin, who would have turned 18 Friday.
On the count of three, family and friends of Davonte Macklin tossed red and white roses into the manmade lake.“Happy Birthday Davonte,” they said in unison, with the sounds of DRS’ Gangsta Lean playing in the background. “We love you.”
They gathered on the bridge that crossed the lake at McDonald Park to remember the happy-go-lucky teen who died Thursday after jumping into the lake. He would have turned 18 on Friday.
“We were supposed to throw him a surprise party today,” said his sister Melquinice Macklin, 19, as she fought back tears. “He was so excited to be 18.”
Davonte’s grandmother, Betty Clark, said her grandson was looking forward to spending his birthday with his sister.
“He was very family-oriented,” said Clark, who raised him since he was 3 years old. Her grandson knew how to swim and loved going to the beach, she said.
The family spent Friday trying to piece together what happened to Macklin, who attended nearby Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior High School.
They questioned why Hialeah hadn’t done anything about the pedestrian bridge where another teen, 16-year-old Marceon Butler, died after jumping from the same structure six months ago. Hialeah police described Butler’s death as an accident “of kids being kids.”
“It’s already taken two lives,’’ said Macklin’s uncle, Gary Jean-Francois as he stood on the bridge. “How many more lives have to be taken before the city does something?”
The city did make some changes after Butler died, Hialeah City Attorney William Grodnick wrote in an email.
“The city decided to provide more signage, which included spray painting ‘no diving’ on regular intervals on the bridge and providing two extra signs at each entrance of the bridge warning ‘No swimming or diving,’ ” Grodnick wrote.
Additionally, Hialeah will schedule an aquatics safety committee meeting “to look at any and all suggestions or alternatives to increase safety, including an education program in the neighboring middle and high schools to advise the children of the dangers of jumping off bridges,” Grodnick said in his email.
And, police regularly patrol the park and shoo away teens who congregate on the bridge, detective Eddie Rodgriguez said.
The 17-acre park and the lake were created in 1964. The city added the gray, concrete bridge with 4-foot metal railings on each side in 2001. Kids from the nearby high school use the bridge with its wooden planks to hang out or to get from one side of the park to the other.
“They’re kids,’’ Jean-Francois said. “They are going to be daredevils.”
Earlier in the day, Macklin had joined a school pep rally, celebrating the end of Spirit Week for their Homecoming game. He had donned a bright blue cut-up shirt and danced, sang and jumped around with friends.
“He had his arm around me and we were all having fun,” said Genesis Alvarez, 14, clutching a small gold frame with a picture of Macklin.
“He was just a goofy guy,” said Alvarez. “He was always smiling.”
Since Thursday was early release day, many kids headed to the park shortly after noon to hang out as they usually do. Some would jump off the bridge. Others would cross over to get to the basketball courts on the other side.
Macklin decided to take off his shirt and jump off the bridge in his jeans, for fun, said Ronald Llopiz, 14.
He resurfaced once and asked for help, the boy’s friends told Jean-Francois.
“I think he just panicked,’’ Llopiz told Macklin’s aunt Natasha Francois on Friday.
When Macklin didn’t come up again, Llopiz said he called 911.
Another student, Johan Perez, 15, jumped into the lake.
“I went into the water to try to get him,” Perez said.
Natasha Francois thanked the teen for trying to save her nephew.
By that time Hialeah Fire Rescue divers had arrived. Police say Macklin was in the water about 40 minutes before divers found his body.
On Friday, several of the teens who gathered said they had jumped off the bridge before, but now would think twice before doing it again.
“I did it a long time ago, but would never do it again,’’ said Richard Rodriguez, 15.
The group stood close and recited the Lord’s Prayer led by Gregory Suncar, 15, who wore a rosary and held a candle.
“We are never going to forget him,” he said.
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