Six-year-old Tyzavier Martin collapsed while standing in the lunch line at his school on June 14 and passed away. Now, nearly five months later, authorities are calling the child’s death a homicide.
While standing in line for pizza, People reports that Martin began to bleed and foam from the mouth before he collapsed. It was only his second day back to school after being in the hospital for a throat injury.
Boy’s Death Ruled Homicide After Mom Slashed 6-Year-Old’s Throat With Box Cutter
Two months before Martin collapsed, he was attacked by his mother, who reportedly took a box cutter and sliced both Martin and another young child’s throats. According to the New York Police Department, 24-year-old Shanice Martin then took the children to a nearby street corner and left them there.
After being left at the corner, a passerby stopped to help the children by calling 911. Shanice reportedly walked to a police station while covered in her son’s blood and turned herself in.
Both of the children received treatment at a local hospital and as the NYPD told People, Shanice was originally charged with attempted murder, assault, child abandonment, child endangerment, and weapons possession.
Both children seemingly recovered until Martin collapsed in June. Martin’s father was given custody of his son after he was released from the hospital. It’s unclear who has custody of the other injured child.
However, now that authorities are calling Martin’s death a homicide, some of those charges will change. According to the medical examiner’s office, Martin’s cause of death has been labeled as “asphyxia due to obstruction of airway by laryngeal granuloma complicating incised wound of neck.”
As People reports, Shanice—who lost custody of her son two years before getting him back in 2016—has been in custody since the April 27 attack. She has also been treated for mental illness. It’s unclear when Shanice is expected in court.