The heartbroken fiancée of a father who was killed protecting his 14-year-old son outside his home recalls gruesome details leading to his death.
Tracy Karopchinsky, 44, described how Christopher Wright, 43, was killed on his doorstep by five bullies after he was dragged into a fight that started at Brooklyn Park Middle School and moved into his home in Anne Arundel County.
The assailants – consisting of three teenagers and two adults – proceeded to beat Wright, who was already unconscious and bleeding, before fleeing the scene. They told his 12-year-old son, “I’m sorry, call 911.”
Remnants of Wright’s blood stained the ground outside their home.
Their son Trenton, 14, got into an altercation with another teen at school on Friday, before three adolescents and two adults showed up at her Maryland home.
Her husband, who was a stay-at-home father, told the group that their son would not fight, to which they allegedly replied, “If he’s not going to fight, then you’re going to fight us.”
Wright was then viciously beaten by the group and repeatedly hit his head against the concrete outside his home as his 12-year-old son watched.
Tracy Karopchinsky holds a photo of her late fiancé Christopher Wright, 43
Trenton, 14, got into an altercation with another teen at school on Friday, before three adolescents and two adults showed up at her Maryland home. In the photo: Blood residue is seen outside the house
Pictured: Wright and two of his sons at a Baltimore Orioles game
He was taken to a trauma center – and was pronounced dead on Saturday after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Fiancé Tracy Karopchinsky told DailyMail.com that the attackers continued to beat the father even after he lay unconscious — and told his child to call 911 before getting in the car and leaving.
She said: ‘It didn’t seem like the attack lasted long, our last text to each other was around 4:30pm and I got a call at 5:30pm saying he was being loaded into an ambulance.
“According to one of my sons, he looked back and saw that his father was lying on the floor and not moving and the man was still fighting and beating him while Chris lay there.
Then he heard him [the attacker] say “Oh my god he’s bleeding” he handed my son Chris’ chains that had come off somehow and said “I’m sorry, call 911”.
“My youngest son came out screaming and they got in their car and left.”
Recalling the hours before the horror, Karopchinsky told DailyMail.com, “My son went to school, Chris had to reinstate him because he was suspended for something else. He was involved in multiple fights throughout the day, someone came into his classroom to fight and a teacher had to pull the kid off him.
“He made it, came home, went upstairs to tell his older brother what happened all day. They heard voices outside from their upstairs bedroom and the boys were outside, these were my son’s friends prior to the incident.
“Their dad went in and said your friends are here, he told them these are not my friends. Chris came out, he told them he’s not coming out to fight you. They said if he doesn’t come out, we’ll go in and fight them in there.
“Chris told them he’s not coming out and you’re not coming into my house. Then they said well you are going to fight.
“They started fighting and the end result was Chris didn’t run away.”
“These children are fourteen years old and had two adults, relatives of the children. The police have the names of all the people, I know the investigation is a process and the police are actively involved and doing everything they can.
Fiance Tracy Karopchinsky explained what happened before the ordeal
“The school is taking all their actions, my kids are not going back to school, it’s done. These children will go to secondary school next year. I talked to the high school about next steps.
‘[Trenton’s] guilt is immeasurable he feels like this is his fault so just help him through the loss of his father and also let him know this is not your fault.
“He had no reason to fight these people and he didn’t want to. mWhen he suffered shock trauma, they said he had severe damage to the right side of his brain, by the end of it had become a catastrophic brain injury.
“He had a stroke, cerebral hemorrhage in the brain stem and that was it.”
Chris, the father of Tryston, Trenton and Tevin, has already been cremated and the family plans to celebrate his life at a memorial service on June 11.
Neighbor Richard Balsamo, 58, said: ‘Chris was a good guy. He didn’t bother anyone. He stayed on his porch, he took care of his garden, he took care of his children. For someone to come here and take him away from his girlfriend and his kids is ridiculous and wrong and something needs to be done.
Karopchinsky emphasized the devastating effect her husband’s death would have on her children and the children who attacked him
Pictured: Christopher Wright who died last Friday from his injuries following the incident
Christopher Wright, 43, who died after suffering brain damage when he was beaten up outside his door
“It shocked the neighborhood. He’s a very good guy and very good to his children.’
A GoFundMe was set up by his sister-in-law Kristin Karopchinsky, who explained that Wright had gone out to defend his endangered son Trenton.
She said in her fundraiser that he was hit on the head before being repeatedly hit on the concrete.
School officials acknowledged that the fight had taken place and said they were working to address the issue.
They are cooperating with the police on the investigation.
Karopchinsky emphasized the devastating effect her husband’s death would have on her children and the children who attacked him.
She said, “They didn’t just ruin our lives. Their lives will change forever. Their parents’ lives will change forever, and no one thinks about that just after a fight.
“It’s everywhere, and somewhere, as parents, we’re failing these kids […] It is not the school’s responsibility. It is our responsibility,” she said.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department said they are investigating and charges could be brought against those involved.
Marc Limansky, Anne Arundel County police spokesman, said: “Anyone who assisted or is an accomplice to the prime suspect or prime suspect is guilty.”
Police have said charges could be brought against those involved in the brutal attack. A local officer confirmed that no weapons were used in the attack.