A fire that severely burned a special needs child in Kerrville was apparently not intentionally set by another boy, as authorities initially believed, the Kerrville police chief said Thursday.
Kayden Culp, 10, has been in a drug-induced coma at University Hospital in Kerrville with second- and third-degree burns since the incident Sunday. On Wednesday, authorities arrested another boy and charged him with arson.
Kayden’s family has maintained that Kayden was the victim of bullying. He has a hearing impairment and speaks with a lisp, and his parents told the San Antonio Express-News and other news outlets that he has borne the brunt of jokes in the past.
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But at a news conference on Thursday police and fire officials said that bullying might not be to blame here. Police Chief David Knight said results of an investigation suggest that Kayden was in a shed on a vacant lot with three other boys and they started a fire. One of the boys poured gas on the flames to make them grow, causing a cascading flash fire that burned Kayden, he said.
Fire Chief Dannie Smith said: “It does not appear that this event was premeditated or that there was any intent to harm any of the juveniles present.”
