12-year-old who died after jumping from Riverfront Park bridge was a kind, loving ‘skater boy,’ family says

Nahziyien Gordon, also known by friends and family as “Jo,” was “the sweetest kid” who loved to skateboard, according to his family.

“Jo had the biggest heart,” said Amanda Muellner, his aunt. “He would do anything for anybody.”

Nahziyien’s life was cut short Wednesday night after the 12-year-old jumped off a Riverfront Park pedestrian bridge and never made it to shore, according to the Spokane Fire Department. A dive team recovered the unconscious boy almost an hour after first responders were called to the orange bridge near the Rotary Fountain. He died at the scene.

Three teens also jumped off the bridge into the cold water that night but made it out uninjured, the fire department said.

Nahziyien’s family, friends and teachers gathered Saturday evening at the bridge to celebrate and remember the kind, loving Yasuhara Middle School student.

Muellner said Nahziyien always had a smile on his face.

“He could light up the room just by walking in with that gorgeous smile and all that curly hair,” she said.

Najaie Bryant-Muellner, Nahziyien’s older cousin, said he was an intelligent kid who didn’t have a “mean bone in his body.” She said all he wanted to do was skateboard and ride his scooter, and she never saw him mad.

“Jo was always happy,” Bryant-Muellner said.

She said she has been trying to hold herself together amid the grief, but it’s been extremely difficult.

“I just keep trying to tell myself we’re going to wake up from this nightmare,” Bryant-Muellner said. “It’s just been very, very hard.”

Nahziyien‘s family set up a memorial Saturday at the bridge.

The memorial included photos of Nahziyien pasted to poster boards, signs like “JUSTICE FOR JOE” and “STOP BULLYING,” loving written messages, candles with Nahziyien’s photo wrapped around them, flowers and balloons. Some loved ones wore shirts with photos of Nahziyien printed on them.

Makia Bryant-Muellner, another one of the boy’s older cousins, said the three teens who jumped from the bridge unscathed were bullying him. She said Nahziyien didn’t know how to swim and didn’t like the water.

Police are investigating the death.

“To have him just snatched from us, you know, it’s just not fair,” she said.

Makia Bryant-Muellner said she helped Nahziyien’s mother raise him. Even though Makia Bryant-Muellner has a son of her own, she called Nahziyien her “first born” because he taught her how to be a mom before her biological son came along.

“He meant the world to me,” she said.

She said Nahziyien wanted to be everyone’s friend and always wanted to make people laugh. He loved skateboarding, too.

“We called him our skater boy,” she said.

Tysha McMillan said her daughter was a classmate of Nahziyien’s at Yasuhara, and he stuck up for her when she was bullied.

“She was really sad to hear the news when she came back to school that Jo wasn’t joining them in their shared classes,” McMillan said.

Gregory Summers, Nahziyien’s grandfather, called the boy “a free spirit.”

Summers has a video on his phone when Nahziyien was about 4 years old grooving all over the yard to an AC/DC song.

Nahziyien was quiet in his younger years but was starting to open up, enjoy life and make new friends, Summers said.

“He was kind of coming out of his shell,” he said. “He was just kind of starting to experience life before he was taken from (us).”

Nahziyien loved his family and always had to be next to his mom, Summers said.

“We’re just trying to get through it and stay positive and move on, but never forget, you know,” Summers said. “So, it’s going to take some time.”

Karen Muellner, Nahziyien’s grandmother, called him “Precious.”

“It was something about him, the little smile he has and his slow walk he does sometimes,” she said of his nickname. “He’s something else. He’s one of a kind.”

She said she’s trying to stay strong for the family.

“I’m just going to miss him,” she said. “I love that boy so much.”