The Madison and Sun Prairie communities are in deep mourning this week after an unimaginable loss with the recent passing of two young brothers, Legend Loyal Sims and Antwon “Junior” Sims, Jr., ages 8 and 6, respectively, in a tragic accident in Sun Prairie. The brothers died after they fell through an icy pond on Friday, according to officials, after being dropped off from school. Community members are currently helping family members raise funds for a memorial and funeral service that will celebrate and honor the lives of the boys.
Mother Kiana Sims has organized a GoFundMe fundraiser where she writes, “As we grapple with this unimaginable loss, we are reaching out to our extended network for support in organizing a memorial and funeral to honor the precious lives of these two beautiful souls.
‘Their bright smiles, infectious laughter, and boundless energy touched the lives of all who knew them,” she continues. “They were beloved sons, brothers, friends, and classmates. Their absence has left an indelible mark on our hearts, and we are committed to ensuring that they are remembered with the love and dignity they deserve.”
Cierra Carey was older brother Legend’s 3rd-grade teacher this year at One City Schools before the family moved to Sun Prairie. “He was a legend,” Carey tells Madison365. “He was a wonderful student to have.
“He was just always a helper and specifically loved passing out lunch,” Carey continues. “Anytime there was something around the classroom, he would be a big help to Ms. [Azuree] Nichols, his homeroom teacher: ‘What can I do? How can I help you?’ I’d try to distract him and he’d be like ‘Oh, no. Ms. Carey. I gotta finish this.'”
Carey adds that between herself and lead teacher Nichols and assistant teacher Amber Williams, they had “millions of great stories about Legend.”
“He was always just …well, his name…. legend. Finding out how he passed, as tragic as it was, saving his brother, wasn’t anything out of his character,” Carey says. “He was selfless. Legend joined the third-grade crew with another new scholar and he and that scholar … they just had each other’s backs and it was really beautiful. He was only at One City for about three months … but he was just everything. He was a legend, that’s for sure.”
The boys, who had attended Royal Oaks Elementary School in the Sun Prairie School District for the last month, were walking home after getting off the school bus when they took a detour to walk beside a large unmarked, unfenced, and partially frozen retention pond located next to their apartment complex, according to a letter from One City Schools to parents. Antwon, who loves animals, saw a flock of birds standing on the ice on the other side of the pond when he walked onto the ice to go see them. After falling through the ice, Legend went to help Junior but he also fell through the ice before he could reach his little brother.
One City founder and CEO Kaleem Caire tells Madison365 that he is deeply saddened.
“These were two beautiful boys who had parents and siblings and friends and extended family members who loved and adored them and who had very bright futures,” Caire says. “This was a case of a wonderfully curious 6-year-old chasing after birds on a partially frozen man-made retention pond that was not fully frozen and that did not have a fence or visible warning signs, and a very brave older brother who tried to rescue his little brother before falling into the water, too. We need to remember these boys for the great children that they were, support their family, and ensure that every major retention pond in Dane County is fenced and appropriately signed.
“I feel fortunate that the boys’ parents allowed me the opportunity to spend time at the hospital with their family, and to hold Junior’s foot in my hand and pray for him while he was on life support,” Caire adds. “It is a tragic loss for our entire community. We will continue to support the family in whatever ways we are able, and will continue to provide a community of support for the boys’ older sibling who is still enrolled with us.”
Corey Marionneaux, the founder and CEO of Black Men Coalition Of Dane County, organizes a popular youth summer baseball league every year and he says he remembers the boys fondly — 6-year-old Antwon was on the Badgers team and 8-year-old Legend was on the Sluggers team. “They were such good, energetic kids,” Marionneaux tells Madison365. “We even picked them up from their home and brought them to the ballpark and took them back home, stuff like that. Just like every other kid, they enjoy baseball, and having fun with friends … and it’s just so sad.
“The mom had just moved to Sun Prairie thinking it was a safer area to live and she would have a better life and that’s why she ended up transferring her son from One City School out to Sun Prairie. And then this terrible thing happened,” he adds. “It is just such a tragedy.”
Marionneaux says that he was shocked to hear that the boys were dropped off by the school bus in front of a retention pond by Wild Woods Apartments in Sun Prairie … a pond that had no protection around it.
“It was supposed to be a reservoir but it looked like a lake or a huge pond. The 6-year-old went there to look at the ducks and his brother tried to convince him not to and then went to go save him when he was in trouble and he fell through, too,” he says. “Reservoirs of their size need to have a physical railing around them. And from my understanding, they are only supposed to be three feet deep. And I don’t believe that’s the case with this one at all.
“Why they dropped them off by the reservoir and not in front of the building, I have no idea…. Because there is nothing else over there. The reservoir doesn’t have the protection or gate … it’s literally less than 20 feet from the building. I didn’t see a playground at the building either. It’s low-income housing without the kids in mind. And people are approving it and I just think that’s a problem.”
Marionneaux emphasizes that Antwon Amos Sr. was “a really good father” and that he has a GoFundMe that needs support, too.
The funds raised will go towards covering the costs associated with arranging a fitting tribute to their memory, including funeral expenses, memorial services, burial arrangements, and any additional support needed by the family during this difficult time, the GoFundMe adds.
Marionneaux says that they are looking to do a balloon release on Thursday in memory of the brothers but the the time and place have yet to be determined.
“This could happen to any of our kids, man … they are all curious,” says Marionneaux. “This really, really bothers me. I have a six-year-old daughter and that could have been her. It could have been any of our kids.”
