The news of his death spread rapidly through the community and brought many out Thursday night with their families to grieve and pray.

Daylan, who plunged from the Columbia Road apartment building’s rooftop Wednesday morning, apparently wandered away from his day-care center inside without being noticed, and climbed four flights of stairs. He then apparently opened a door and went out onto the roof.

A day after the tragic death of 2-year-old Daylan Walker, family, friends, and neighbors held a vigil and created a makeshift memorial on Thursday with toys, flowers, and candles near the building in Dorchester where the toddler fell and was killed.


Miguel Diaz, 25, brought his 1-year-old niece, Anayla, to pay their respects. They added two candles and some toys to the memorial on Strathcona Road.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Diaz. “It’s a sad day for the family. Hopefully they are all right.”

He said he has two children of his own, and Daylan’s death hit home.

“I don’t want anyone in the world to go through this, “ he said.

Evelyn Cartwright, who lives across the street, brought her grandson to mourn Daylan and support the family.

“ I have younger grandchildren and him,” she said, pointing to her grandson. “So it hits hard.”

Cartwright said she could not understand how a toddler could open the door to the roof Daylan fell from. She said it was heavy, even for an adult to open.

“My heart goes out to the family, “ she said. “What else can you say?”

A neighbor gathered the group at the vigil and asked someone to lead a prayer in Spanish. The group recited the prayer and held a moment of silence for the toddler.

The Rev. William Dickerson, of the Greater Love Tabernacle Church, gave a quick group prayer for the approximately 50 people gathered around the memorial.


“Lord, we know the innocence of a child causes him to be with you,” said Dickerson. “Father, we pray that you strengthen his family, strengthen this community in the midst of this terrible loss.”

Some members of Daylan’s family came to the vigil. The boy’s uncle, Carlos Abel, addressed the crowd in Spanish, as emotions were high. Many cried and embraced.

Abel told those gathered that he did not want such a terrible tragedy to happen to any other family.

A man named Jose, who declined to give his last name, said he was Daylan’s downstairs neighbor. He came to pay his respects, and said he was “devastated” by the loss.

“[Daylan] was a good kid, happy,” said Jose, 25. “He was a very happy kid. ... I’m not going to see him grow up. It’s hard.

“I was there when they first brought him home,” he said. “He was a friend. I lost a friend of mine.”

Derek J. Anderson can be reached at derek.anderson@globe.com.