MELROSE — Toys and a teddy bear, Hot Wheels cars and hand-made cards were placed at a memorial at Winthrop Elementary School Tuesday, one day after a student died after a tree toppled on them and two others at the school’s playground.
Cellophane-wrapped bouquets of daisies and pink roses leaned against a chain-link fence as school officials, students, parents, and the community at large grappled with the horrific and sudden loss of a young life. Notes with hand-drawn hearts that said “we miss you,” were affixed to the fence.
The student, who has not been named by city officials, was identified by his family on social media Tuesday night as Zakaria Bel Qaid, who just turned 9 years old last week.
“It is with utmost sadness and grief that we announce the passing of our most beautiful boy, Zakaria,” the family wrote on Instagram. “He spent his last moments laughing and playing tag with his little sister and her friend.”
“Zakaria had such a bright future that was cut way too short at just 9 years old,” the post said.
He was “fun and incredibly loving, loyal, determined, confident, silly, stubborn and the very best mama’s boy.“
He was also a champion skier, the post said.
Zakaria was a member of Green Mountain Academy in Stowe, Vt. He won a national skiing championship in his age group for both the half pipe and ski cross.
“He loved to ski so much — it was absolutely everything to him and I’m so glad he had the best winter ever,“ his family said. “Thank you to everyone that loved him. This is an incomprehensible loss.”
In a statement Tuesday morning, Mayor Jen Grigoraitis and Schools Superintendent Cari Berman said they were “deeply saddened” by the student’s death.
“There are no words to convey such a profound loss,” the officials said. “Our hearts are and will remain with the student’s family, friends, classmates who are navigating this unimaginable tragedy.”
Grief counselors and other support resources have been made available to students and staff, officials said, and will remain in place as the community mourns.
It remains unclear what caused the tree to topple onto the playground at Winthrop Elementary shortly before 3 p.m. Monday. Another child and an adult were injured, treated at a hospital, and released.
Wind speeds varied between 5 mph and 15 mph across Melrose on Monday in the hours leading up to the tree collapse, according to Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan. Wind direction shifted between the south, west, and east throughout the day, he said.
As dismissal time neared Tuesday, parents gathered outside the school, their grief visible. Some united in small groups, leaning on one another for support. Others remained alone, shielding their tears behind sunglasses.
Several families brought bouquets and placed them along the fence rimming the edge of the playground.
Parents described the loss as unimaginable.
“The school has done an incredible job at making us feel like our kids are safe,” said Nicole Benetello, 35, her voice slightly quivering. “This is an unimaginable, horrific incident, and this isn’t the school’s fault at all.”
Benetello, who works in marketing for a Boston-based health organization, said communication from school officials was immediate and consistent.
“They’ve been on top of it since the moment it happened,” she said. “They’ve consoled all of us. They’re making sure our kids know that they’re also safe.”
The emotional response has underscored the toll on families confronting a tragedy that feels both sudden and rare, parents said.
“You prepare your kids for school shootings, and that feels more normalized now, but this doesn’t happen,” Benetello added.
The grief was overwhelming, she said.
“I knew the family. I helped the sister yesterday,” Benetello said. “My heart goes out to them.”
Neela Jayaraman, a 47-year-old clinical social worker with a second-grader at the school, described the incident as a “freak accident” and said the focus should remain on supporting one another.
“It’s devastating for the family and for the community,” Jayaraman said as she waited to take her child home. “All of us are hurting, and we’re coming together. … We need to just show up for each other, for our kids.”
Jayaraman said the school has communicated with families and is providing support for students.
“There have been lots of emails, and they really pulled it together today to make sure kids had support,” she said. “Grief is something that needs to be processed in community, and kids need a space to ask their questions and be silly and play while they’re processing.”
The incident should not be viewed as a broader safety failure, Jayaraman said.
“I don’t think this has anything to do with playground safety,” Jayaraman said. “It’s natural to look for someone to blame, but I don’t think this is something that has a particular person or reason.”
As the investigation continues, families say the focus remains on grieving together and supporting the child’s loved ones.
Jayaraman, who said she was distantly connected to the family, emphasized the importance of community in moments like this.
“Everyone did their best to show up for each other,” she said. “And I think that’s the most important piece.”
Video of the scene Monday from WHDH-TV showed Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan speaking with police officers near the playground, where a large tree lay on the ground and the area was cordoned off with yellow caution tape.
A spokesperson for Ryan’s office said the district attorney is investigating the death.
“No foul play is suspected,” the spokesperson said.
The Melrose School Committee posted on social media that it had canceled Tuesday evening’s meeting.
Melrose police and fire departments directed all inquiries to the mayor’s office, which did not respond to a request for additional comment.
Shannon Larson and Nick Stoico of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Aayushi Datta can be reached at aayushi.datta@globe.com. Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.