Police continuing to investigate circumstances of Dan Hollis’s death
Three helped through Emerson student's organ donations, according to his family.
As Boston police continue to investigate the circumstances of the reported assault and battery that left Emerson College sophomore Dan Hollis, 19, with a brain injury that later killed him, Hollis’s family said his organ donations helped save three people.
“We are proud to share that Dan’s gifts have saved three lives today,” Hollis’s mother, Jen Kelly, wrote on the CaringBridge website the family has used to give updates on Hollis’s condition. “Additionally, the surgeons were able to recover his heart valves and those will be able to be donated at a later date.”
In a prior post, Kelly said services for Hollis are planned for next weekend.
As of Friday morning, Boston police had not identified a suspect, and no arrests have been made in the incident that happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday near 15 Park Vale Ave. in Brighton. Police did classify Hollis as a homicide victim on Thursday.
Emerson held a vigil on Thursday for Hollis.
“To have his journey of becoming a person cut short is something that fills all of our hearts with grief,” College President Lee Pelton said during the vigil, according to WBZ. “He was a young man chock full of life; he loved life and life loved him.”
Eric Moxim, who served as Hollis’s high school lacrosse coach, spoke after the vigil.
“If Dan was here at that event, he would have spent the whole time making sure everyone else felt alright,” he said, according to the Boston Herald.
Emerson sophomore Jared Haines spoke of how Hollis could lift the mood.
“He was the type of kid who could walk into a dark room and light it up instantly,” he said, according to WBZ.
Despite what happened to Hollis, those who work at businesses near where the altercation happened say the neighborhood is safe.
“This neighborhood is safe because of the students,” Matt Lawrence, who manages Blanchards Liquors, told The Boston Globe. “Allston has also gotten a lot safer over the past few years.”
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