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A New York City family has been left heartbroken after authorities say their 6-year-old child was killed while attempting to board a school bus with his older brother.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the New York Police Department identified the victim in Wednesday's incident as Shimon Fried, of Brooklyn.
Shimon's family also confirmed his identity to the New York Daily News and expressed their heartbreak over the tragedy.
"He was a holy child," his father, Malky Fried, told the outlet. "He did unusual things for his age. He wanted to learn and grow."
Shimon's aunt added to the Daily News that her nephew was "a child that liked everything" and was "very happy" and "great-natured."
Authorities said the fatal incident unfolded around 8:30 a.m. near the intersection of South 5th Street and Hooper Street in Williamsburg.
When they arrived, they found the boy "unconscious and unresponsive with trauma about the body." EMS later pronounced him dead at the scene, according to the NYPD.
A preliminary investigation by officials determined that Shimon was struck by the school bus at the intersection before the driver pulled away.
Surveillance video obtained by WCBS captured the moment that Shimon's 9-year-old brother got on the bus. Shimon, who was following behind, never made it on himself.
"At that point, the school bus driver closed the door and proceeded to pull forward. As he was doing that, the 6-year-old was crossing in front of the school bus. I believe, unbeknownst to the driver, the 6-year-old stepped in front of the bus. The bus hit the child and the child was run over," NYPD Sgt. Robert Denig said during a press conference, according to WCBS.
Minutes after the incident, Denig said the driver of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus spotted Shimon in the road and called 911.
According to authorities, the driver of the school bus was later apprehended and taken into custody for questioning.
"At this juncture, there are no charges," Denig said, according to WCBS. "There is a lot of work that has to go into this case because of the severity of what occurred."
Shimon's funeral was held on Wednesday at a synagogue in South Williamsburg, the Daily News reported.
As his loved ones continue to grieve, neighbors said they're devastated by the sudden death of Shimon and are left to wonder how his family will manage to move forward.
"He was a sweet little boy," one neighbor told the Daily News. "He used to play with my kids. Sometimes he would play out here."
Speaking to WCBS, another neighbor said of the incident, "These things happen in a split second. It's like, one bad move of a child, one bad move of a vehicle, it's like an eye blink."
"I walk down this street every day. I'm never going to be able to walk down this street again. It's absolutely traumatizing," added someone else. "I don't know how a parent can go back home afterward."
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