An 11-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling from the seventh floor of the Taramac Family Shelter in Denver, a facility operated by the Salvation Army. According to a police report, the girl’s parents opened a window in their shelter unit due to unbearable heat and lack of air conditioning. While playing, the girl reportedly ran toward the window, which had been concealed by a curtain, and fell five stories onto a second-floor awning. She suffered significant injuries, including fractures to her legs, face, and head.
The family had previously filed multiple complaints about extreme heat and pest infestations, including cockroaches and bedbugs. A detective visiting the shelter after the incident confirmed that the unit, and others on the top floor, were extremely hot with poor air circulation. Shelter staff had reportedly attempted repairs to the HVAC system, which was upgraded three months earlier, and had offered to move the family to another unit while waiting on replacement parts. The offer was declined.
Following the incident, the city of Denver and the Department of Housing Stability pledged stronger oversight, including joint room checks with Salvation Army staff and the installation of tamper-proof window locks. Officials called the incident a “heartbreaking tragedy” and committed to ensuring such a situation doesn’t happen again.
