The state of Florida has had a nightmare week. Fresh off the largest massacre in U.S. history and the cold-blooded murder of “Voice” singer Christina Grimmie by a stalker after her Orlando show, the Sunshine State has suffered another unfathomable tragedy: the mauling death of a toddler by an alligator at a Disney resort.
The body of 2-year-old Lane Graves was found by divers on Wednesday morning, more than 16 hours after an alligator sprang from the waters, clamped its jaw around the boy, and dragged him into the lagoon at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
Jennifer Venditti, a mother from Massachusetts, shared Facebook photos of her son Channing, 3, playing in the exact spot Lane was taken under just ONE HOUR later.
There are ‘No Swimming’ signs at the beach area of the lagoon, but there is no warning of alligators anywhere on the premise.
Venditti accompanied these photos with a caption that expressed her sympathy for the Graves family and her confusion with how something of this magnitude could have taken place in such a busy area of the resort.
PRAY, PRAY so hard for the family & for those who witnessed this tragic event. I took these pics at the exact spot this happened betw 8 & 830, the incident happened at 9. Helicopters flew overhead til 1 am and were back around dawn. I can’t imagine anyone could sleep knowing that the helicopter was searching for a missing child taken by an alligator. I can’t help but wonder if we played with him, did I talk to his Mom?? How does one go home without your baby in tow? 💔 I’ve already seen posts criticizing the parents. I can assure you alligators were not on my mind at all when Channing was in the water. It’s a tiny beach, surrounded by pools, water slides, a restaurant and a fire pit. I can’t conceive that an alligator would be in such a busy, small space. #judgelesspraymore
During the search for Lane, wildlife officials caught and killed five alligators in the lagoon and will reportedly use forensics to decipher whether they have already euthanized the gator responsible for the attack.
[h/t Daily Mail]