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Father Of Boys Killed In Essex Crash Sets Up GoFundMe For Funerals As Community Mourns Their Deaths

ESSEX, Md. (WJZ) — A Baltimore County kindergartner and first-grader are among the victims of a fatal car crash along Eastern Boulevard this week.

Their mother and nine-year-old sibling are being treated for life-threatening injuries, officials say.

Jhalil and Jovanni Norris, five and six-year-old boys, were with their mom and sibling when a car struck all four of them along Eastern Boulevard and Orville Avenue on Monday. The driver stayed at the scene.

Their father set up an online fundraiser, writing in part, "My baby boys are gone. This is the hardest thing to have to go through or deal with as a parent."

"I'm horrified because, I just think about kids in general. My kids are safe, I just can't imagine," said Baltimore County parent Faith Berry.

Jhalil and Jovanni were in kindergarten and first grade at Mars Estates Elementary School, where grief counselors were called in to support their friends and classmates.

"All students, especially when they're that young, grieve differently and process information differently so we are doing everything we can to help the students who knew the students who passed away," said Brandon Oland, with Baltimore County Public Schools.

Baltimore County Schools said the two children were just beginning their school careers.

"I'm ready to cry right now...I can't even imagine what that family is going through," said Baltimore County parent Melanie Lanehardt.

Anyone who would like to go to the family's GoFundMe and donate can click here.

Police said it will take several weeks before their investigation into the crash is complete.

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