The Emerson Student Gravely Injured in a Fight in Allston Has Died

Daniel Hollis photo via the Hollis family

After several days of grief for a young Emerson student gravely injured in an altercation in Allston, the family of Daniel Hollis has announced that he has died. Hollis had been in a coma following a serious brain injury he sustained early Saturday morning.

“Our beautiful boy’s journey ended this evening at approximately 5:32pm,” his family wrote in an update on the website CaringBridge.com, from which it’s been providing updates on his condition.

“True to his caring and giving nature, Daniel chose to be an organ donor,” the family’s message continues. “We pray that his gifts will prevent other families from experiencing the heartbreak we are currently experiencing.”

His family had expected the worst, as surgeries revealed the injuries to his brain were so severe that he was not likely to recover.  Those who knew him both at Emerson and in his hometown of Hopedale had been invited to the hospital to say their goodbyes.

“Our deepest appreciation goes to all who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers,” his family writes. “We ask you now to turn those prayers and good wishes to the many friends and family who have to learn how to live with a little less sunshine.”

Police say an investigation into what happened that night outside a building on Park Vale Avenue in Allston is ongoing, and have asked for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

Death Investigation in the area of 15 Park Vale Avenue in Brighton https://t.co/2v2yMnDJ0K

— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) October 3, 2019

According to reports both from the family and from officials, Hollis and some friends were involved in a confrontation of some kind with another group of college-age men in the early hours of Saturday morning. “Words were exchanged, pushing/shoving started, and in the scuffle, we believe Dan was hit and subsequently hit his head on cement/bricks as he fell,” his family wrote in a September 29 post, adding, “He was brought to a local Boston hospital and was diagnosed with a blood clot on his brain requiring immediate surgery.” He was placed in a medically induced coma, from which he did not wake.

Hollis was a sophomore and a lacrosse player at Emerson, where he was a marketing communications major. “Dan will be deeply missed by the many Emersonians who came to know and love him,” Emerson College President Lee Pelton wrote in a message to students following the news, adding that vigil will be held on campus Thursday at noon and that “a celebration of Dan’s life” will be held “in the coming weeks.”