The father of the teen who fell to his death while climbing the Sixth Street Bridge early Saturday is disputing the police chief’s account claiming the 17-year-old was performing a social media stunt.
Paul Luna, the teenager’s father, told ABC7 News that his son Anthony Luna’s death was a tragic accident and that LAPD Chief Michel Moore’s account is “100% false.”
Luna said that his son “didn’t even care about social media” and didn’t even have his phone on him during the fall. He said the climb at around 2 am was just supposed to be a fun night out with friends.
Speaking at Tuesday’s LA Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Moore stated that the teen fell “while climbing upon one of the arches, in order to post, apparently, a social media broadcast.”
A senior at Condor High School in Oxnard, Anthony Luna was set to graduate in just a few weeks.
“It’s weird and mind-blowing how many people my son touched,” his father said on an ABC7 story broadcast Thursday. “He was a great kid, he is a great kid.”
The father also said that he’s surprised that, given the number of dangerous incidents reported on the Sixth Street Bridge since it opened in July, the city has done little to make the viaduct safer. Numerous street takeovers, crashes and instances of trespassing –many broadcast live on social media– have been reported on the bridge.
A small memorial for Anthony Luna has been set up beneath the bridge, right in front of the entrance to one of its spiral ramps. The family is currently planning his funeral, and a GoFundMe has been set up to help with expenses.
