Community remembers 10-year-old Jackson Georgari after tragic sleepwalking incident

KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.

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A Kansas City family is mourning the loss of 10-year-old Jackson Georgari, who died in a sleepwalking incident near Briarcliff Village.

His family is remembering him as a kind, outgoing and academically gifted young man who was deeply loved by his sisters, his school and his community.

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Police say Jackson's body was found in a pond near Briarcliff Village. Investigators say his death was the result of a sleepwalking incident.

It was not the first time Jackson had sleepwalked. His sisters say the family recently moved from San Diego, where he sleepwalked once, and that he had sleepwalked one other time since arriving in Kansas City.

Children's Mercy Hospital says sleepwalking can be genetic or triggered by a new environment. His sisters believe he likely walked a path he recognized from his school bus rides.

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His oldest sister, Atong, described him as a joyful presence in the family.

"He's a happy child, always smiling, loved football, helped people at school, and he was a kind person," Atong said.

Jackson was the only boy among his sisters for 10 years until recently, when the family just welcomed another baby boy.

Atong says the bond they shared was unbreakable.

"He was like the only boy for 10 years, and all of his sisters, we all loved him so much," Atong said.

The family loved making TikToks together, and Atong says those memories are something she will carry with her.

Jackson was a fifth grader who had been advanced to sixth-grade math. His aunt, Semina, said his teachers remembered him fondly.

"Jackson was very, very smart in his class. The teacher had mentioned they always did a joke in the morning, and he would always get it right, and he was very good at math," Semina said. "He was promoted to do 6th-grade math as a fifth grader."

Semina also remembered Jackson's love of the outdoors and of staying active.

"He was an outgoing person and went to the park and on runs," Semina said. "He loved playing football and basketball."

Briarcliff Elementary School held a ceremony to honor Jackson as a student. Atong said the school's response meant a great deal to the family.

"He loved Briarcliff so much, and they were kind enough to have a ceremony for him yesterday and honor him as a student," Atong said. "The Briarcliff community just really loved him."

As the family grieves, they are asking for prayers and support. Atong says her brother will never be far from her thoughts.

"There's not a day that goes by, or even a minute, that I don't think about Jackson," Atong said. "He will always be my brother at heart."

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.

Jackson's funeral is scheduled for Aug. 1.

I reached out to the police Tuesday and asked if there were any updates or new information on the investigation, but I have not heard back.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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