Deaths of Two Kids at Detroit Casino Parking Garage Linked to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Not Hypothermia

Posted on: March 6, 2025, 11:04h. 

Last updated on: March 6, 2025, 12:48h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
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  • Two children who died while sleeping in a van parked at a Detroit casino last month succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Officials originally believed the children, who were homeless, died due to hypothermia
  • The family sought assistance before the tragic incident, but didn’t use offered temporary shelter, officials say

The deaths of two children inside a Detroit casino parking garage last month has a cause, and it’s one that surprised many local officials.

Detroit casino parking garage deaths
Darnell Currie, 9, and his sister, A’millah Currie, 2, died in February 2025 from carbon monoxide poisoning. They became unresponsive inside a running vehicle at a Detroit casino parking garage. (Image: Submitted)

A’millah Currie, 2, and her older brother, Darnell Currie Jr., 9, died on February 10. Their mother, 29-year-old Tateona Williams, homeless and living out of a van that included three additional children, entered the Hollywood Casino at Greektown parking structure around 1 am local time that fateful Monday morning.

Williams said she left the vehicle running while the family slept. Williams would later tell law enforcement that around noon that day, she discovered that Darnell wasn’t breathing. Instead of calling 911, she called a family member who came and quickly transported Darnell and Tateona, who by then had also been found with labored breathing, to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan about a mile and a half away from the casino.

Emergency room staff were unable to revive Darnell and A’millah. Police initially suspected hypothermia, as it was bitterly cold that February night and morning, but there was another reason for their heartbreaking deaths. 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

On Wednesday, the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office disclosed that carbon monoxide poisoning — not hypothermia — was the children’s cause of death. Detroit police said they had reason to believe that the van lost heat at some point during the early morning hours but the vehicle continued to run while outside temperatures dipped into the teens.

Autopsies were performed on February 11. Medical officials said they found high levels of carbon monoxide in Darnell and A’millah. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas.

When a car is running, its fuel emits carbon monoxide. When a person has elevated levels of carbon monoxide, they often report flu-like symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, confusion, chest pain, and vomiting. Larger exposure can lead to loss of consciousness, arrhythmias, seizures, and death.

Dr. Asha Shajahan, a Corewell Health primary care physician who also teaches homeless medicine, told The Detroit News that carbon monoxide poisoning from a parked vehicle running inside a large garage is rare but possible, as made evident by this tragedy. She said if a vehicle is parked in a corner or bordered by walls, there could be a lack of air circulation that could threaten the occupants inside the vehicle.

Police say their investigation is ongoing, but no criminal charges have yet been brought against Williams. The mom said she had sought help, and records show she did contact Detroit’s shelter intake service most recently in November 2024. Homeless services say the family didn’t utilize the temporary shelter that was offered.

Poisoning Statistics 

The CDC says more than 400 Americans die unintentionally each year from carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires. The dangerous gas sends more than 100K people to the emergency room annually, leading to about 14K hospitalizations.

The federal health agency added that even a small leak in a vehicle’s exhaust system can lead to a buildup of carbon monoxide inside the car.

“Never run your car or truck inside a garage,” the CDC concluded.