Sheboygan Falls officials are pushing for a lasting tribute to 8-year-old Oliver Hitchcock.
Authorities waged a campaign to encourage individuals to wear purple on April 4 in honor of Hitchcock, who died at the hands of his mother earlier this month.
The boy’s favorite color was known to be purple, and as a tribute the Sheboygan Falls Fire Department and First Responders urged everyone to wear purple. The department also announced plans for a candlelight vigil on Sunday, April 10, with final plans to be shared with the public once they are finalized.
Hitchcock died at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee after police said he was attacked by his mother at their Plank Trail Lane apartment.
“The initial response I can say was due to a strangulation,” Police Chief Eric Miller told WBAY.com this week.
Hitchcock’s mother is now in custody, with authorities seeking a charge of first-degree intentional homicide and a count of attempted intentional homicide, the WBAY report said. Investigators added that Hitchcock’s father was home at the time of the assault and called 911 before rendering life-saving measures. The mother was taken to a hospital with self-inflicted wounds from a weapon found at the scene.
“On behalf of the City of Sheboygan Falls and its residents, we offer condolences and prayers to the family of Oliver Hitchcock,” Miller said in the report. “This tragedy is not anything any family should have to endure. We are taking steps to ensure the mental health of our first responders and officers and thank the community for their support over the past several days.”
An uncle, Eric Hitchcock, said on a GoFundMe page established by the family that Oliver’s dad “made the heartbreaking and heroic decision to allow Oliver’s organs to be donated.” Hitchcock added that doctors at Children’s Hospital found matches for kidneys, pancreas, liver and heart.
“We want to offer our condolences to the family,” Annalee Bennin, superintendent of the School District of Sheboygan Falls, said. “We want to offer our gratitude to the Police Department and the entire city and the work that they’ve done with us in the last few days. We have some tough days ahead for our families, our students, our staff. We’re very fortunate to have close connections with our community and districts in the county to offer additional support with their crisis-trained personnel.”
