The heartbroken fiancée of a father who was murdered while protecting his 14-year-old son outside his home has recalled horrific details leading to his death.
Tracy Karopchinsky described how Christopher Wright, 43, was killed on his doorstep by five bullies after being dragged into a fight that started at Brooklyn Park Middle School and moved to his house in Anne Arundel County.
The attackers – comprising of three teenagers and two adults – continued to punch Wright, who was already unconscious and bleeding out, before they fled 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 conflict with another teen at the school on Friday, before three adolescents and two adults showed up at her Maryland home.
Her husband, who was a stay at home dad, told the group their son would not be fighting, to which they are said to have replied: ‘If he’s not going to fight, then you’re going to fight us.’
Wright was then horrifically beaten by the group and had his head repeatedly slammed against the concrete outside his home as his 12-year-old son watched.
Tracy Karopchinsky holding a photo of her dead fiancé Christopher Wright, 43
Trenton, 14, got into conflict with another teen at the school on Friday, before three adolescents and two adults showed up at her Maryland home. Pictured: Remnants of blood is seen outside the home
Pictured: Wright and two of his sons at a Baltimore Orioles match
He was taken to a trauma center – and was pronounced dead on Saturday after sustaining a traumatic brain injury.
Fiancée Tracy Karopchinsky told DailyMail.com that the attackers continued hitting the father even after he lay unconscious – and they told his kid to call 911 before getting in the car and leaving.
She said: ‘It did not seem like the attack was long, our last text message to each other was around 4:30pm and I was getting a phone call at 5:30pm that he was being loaded into an ambulance.
‘According to one of my son’s, he looked over and seen his Dad was laying on the ground and not moving and the guy was still fighting him and hitting him as Chris lay there.
‘Then he heard him [the attacker] say “Oh my god he is bleeding”, he handed my son Chris’ necklaces that had somehow come off and said, “I am sorry, call 911”.
‘My youngest son came out screaming and they got into their car and left.’
Recalling the hours before the horror, Karopchinsky told DailyMail.com: ‘My son went to school, Chris had to reinstate him as he had been suspended for something different. He was involved in multiple fights throughout the day, somebody came into his classroom to fight, and a teacher had to pull the kid off him.
‘He made it through, came home, went upstairs to tell his older brother what was happening throughout the day. They heard voices outside from their bedroom upstairs and the boys were outside, these were my son’s friends prior to the incident.
‘Their dad went inside and said your friends are here, he told them these aren’t my friends. Chris came outside, he told them he is not coming out to fight you. They said if he doesn’t come out, we are coming inside the house and we are going to fight them in there.
‘Chris told them he is not coming out and you are not coming into my house. Then they said well you are going to fight.
‘They started to fight, and the end result was Chris was not walking away.’
‘These kids are fourteen years old and had two adults, family members of the kids. The police have all the people’s names, I know the investigation is a process and the police are actively involved and are doing everything.
Fiancée Tracy Karopchinsky explained what happened before the ordeal
‘The school is taking all their actions, my kids are not going back to school, it is done. These kids are going to high school next year. I’ve spoken to the high school about the next steps.
‘[Trenton’s] guilt is beyond measure, he feels like this is his fault so just helping him through the loss of his dad and also letting him know this is not your fault.
‘He had no reason to fight these people and he didn’t want to. mWhen he got to shock trauma, they said he had severe damage to the right side of his brain, by the end of it it had become a catastrophic brain injury.
‘He had a stroke, brain bleeding at the brainstem and that was it.’
Chris, who was the father to Tryston, Trenton, and Tevin, has already been cremated, and the family are planning to celebrate his life during a memorial on June 11.
Neighbor Richard Balsamo, 58, said: ‘Chris was a good guy. He didn’t bother nobody. He stayed on his porch he took care of his yard, he took care of his kids. For someone to come down here and take him from his girlfriend and his kids, it’s ridiculous and wrong and something needs to be done.
Karopchinsky stressed the devastating effects the death of her husband would have on her children, and the children who attacked him
Pictured: Christopher Wright who died from his injuries following the incident last Friday
Christopher Wright, 43, who died after sustaining a brain injury when he was beaten up on his doorstep
‘It’s shocked the neighborhood. He’s a very good guy and very good to his kids.’
A GoFundMe has been set up by his sister in law Kristin Karopchinsky who explained Wright had gone out to defend his son Trenton who had been threatened.
She said in her fundraiser that he was beaten in the head before it was slammed on the concrete repeatedly.
Officials from the school acknowledged the fight had taken place and said that they worked to address the issue.
They are working with police on the investigation.
Karopchinsky stressed the devastating effects the death of her husband would have on her children, and the children who attacked him.
She said: ‘They didn’t just ruin our lives. Their lives are going to be changed forever. Their parents’ lives are going to be changed forever, and nobody thinks about that just from a fight.
‘It’s everywhere, and somewhere, we as parents, are failing these children […] It’s not the school’s responsibility. It’s our responsibility,’ she said.
Anne Arundel County police said they are investigating and that charges could be filed against the individuals involved.
Anne Arundel County police spokesman Marc Limansky said: ‘Anyone who assisted who abetted or was an accomplice of the main suspect or the primary suspect will be culpable.’
Police have said charges could be filed against those involved in the brutal assault. A local officer confirmed that weapons were not used in the attack.
