A young, beloved DJ in Texas who fell from a balcony of a high-rise building nearly two weeks ago has died a week after not fully recovering from her injuries.
via: People
DJ D Baby, real name Darian Lewis, fell four stories from her girlfriend’s balcony on the 13th floor and onto the 9th floor pool deck of the Camden Downtown Apartments on Austin Street in Houston, according to police. She was rushed to a local hospital and died on July 13, per Houston Chronicle.
Lewis had just celebrated her 23rd birthday on June 24, just days before her fall, KPRC reported.
Investigation into Lewis’ death is still ongoing, but “preliminary indications are that Lewis’ death was an unfortunate accident,” a police spokesman told the outlet on Friday.
The Houston Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
On the day of her passing, Lewis’ mother Terri confirmed her passing with a series of pictures of them in a Facebook post. “My youngest and only daughter has transitioned,” Terri said, “please pray for the family, my heart is heavy and broken.”
Lewis’ girlfriend, Nishia Jackson, has also spoken out about the passing. In a Facebook post, Jackson said Lewis had been dropped off at her apartment “intoxicated” after a night out. Jackson wrote that when Lewis arrived she “ran to the balcony” and climbed on a patio chair.
“Once she climbed on the patio chair, I sprinted from the door to her, but she fell over before I could save her,” Jackson wrote. Jackson then ran after her. “I got to her & immediately screamed & summoned for help!” she wrote.
In the post, Jackson also responded to the rumors that she was involved in Lewis’ passing. “There’s no way I could have pushed her over,” she said, “WE WERE NOT FIGHTING!”
“We were far from perfect. We had issues like most however, I would never hurt her whom I love, nor anyone in such a manner,” Jackson wrote. Jackson added that was was “devastated” by other rumors that Lewis intentionally fell off the balcony.
Darrin Lewis, the DJ’s father, refrained from addressing the rumors while talking to Fox 26 Houston. “We’re going to trust the system, and we’re going to let them do their job,” he said.
Lewis’ Instagram account, which surpasses 33,000 followers, shows her performing in Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and New Orleans. Comments in her recent posts show her fans saddened by the news of her passing.
In April, the Texas native did an interview with Voyage Dallas and opened up about her career, the struggles she had faced and her hopes for the future.
Upon graduating high school, her parents gifted her DJ equipment for her to finally pursue her passion. After that, Lewis enrolled as a student at Texas Southern University where she said “it didn’t take long for me to become a pretty known DJ on the campus.”
Once her career on campus was “soaring” she began reaching out to club promoters for off-campus opportunities. “I taught myself how to humbly seek opportunities while also selling my uniqueness and what I could personally add to their events,” she said.
Lewis said her career hadn’t always been a “smooth road,” noting that sometimes she felt trapped into “somewhat of a box.” She explained, “I became a consistent DJ for an LGBTQ promoter which eventually led to more LGBTQ promoters booking me. The more I was booked in the LGBTQ community, the less I seemed to get booked elsewhere. I love [DJing] for the LGBTQ community but I never wanted to be boxed into any one sector.”
After feeling frustrated with her limited opportunities, Lewis decided to take matters in her own hands and begin networking to find other gigs. Other than her work as a DJ, Lewis was also an entrepreneur as she started her own hookah company, Hookah Heroes.
Sending our condolences to Darian’s family and friends.
