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5-year-old's fatal fall from window investigated in Brookline

BROOKLINE, Mass. — An investigation continues in Brookline after a 5-year-old girl fell from a fourth-story window on Beacon Street and was killed.

The girl, who has not been identified, fell from the apartment window before 4 p.m. Monday.

“The child was laying approximately six feet from the side of the building,” Brookline police Lt. Philip Harrington said. “It’s a cement landing.”

Police said she lived in the building but was playing at a friend’s unit when she fell. The screen on the window came crashing to the ground with the little girl.

MORE: 5-year-old girl dies after falling out of apartment window in Brookline

"This is one of those injuries we see more of in the summer," said Aisling Guinee, a paramedic.

On Sunday, a boy fell seven stories from a Quincy apartment, with bushes breaking his fall. He was still holding onto the window screen.

"The screens are almost more dangerous than the window themselves. They don't prevent any sort of fall, even a small child at 10 to 30 pounds is going to fall right through that screen," said Guinee.

Guinee said safety locks for windows and not keeping furniture near windows can prevent kids from falling out. Education is also key.