FORT KNOX, Ky. — The mother of a Fort Knox Soldier killed in an on-post motor-pool accident has publicly described the injuries her son suffered, saying steel brackets fell on him and crushed his torso.
Staff Sgt. Deonte Lamar Davis died Sept. 1 after engineering equipment fell on him while he was working in a motor pool, according to the Army. He was flown to a hospital in Louisville, where he died.
In a public Facebook video posted after his death, Davis’ mother, Larissa Beamon-Massey, said the equipment involved was a set of steel brackets.
“They fell on him,” Beamon-Massey said. “They crushed Deonte’s torso.”
She said Davis suffered broken ribs and extensive injuries to his chest.
“There was no way he could make it,” she said.
Her account provides the first public description of how Davis was injured beyond the limited information released by military officials. The Army has confirmed that engineering equipment fell on Davis but has not publicly identified the equipment or released details about his injuries.
Fort Knox officials said initial indications were that the incident was accidental. The circumstances remain under investigation by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, which routinely investigates Soldier fatalities.
The family’s description has not been announced as an official investigative finding, and no final cause or manner of death has been publicly released.
Davis, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida, served as a bridge crewmember with the 19th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps. He had been assigned to Fort Knox since 2024.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Staff Sgt. Davis,” Col. Jeff Burges, commander of the 20th Engineer Brigade, said in an Army statement. “He was an outstanding Soldier and leader, and will be deeply missed by all his family, friends and fellow soldiers across the formation.”
In her video, Beamon-Massey thanked the relatives, friends and community members who sent messages, brought food and drinks, and came to the family’s home after Davis’ death.
“It feels good to know that you’re just loved and thought of because we just don’t know our last day,” she said.
The death marks another devastating loss for the family. Beamon-Massey said the family lost another child, Javonte, eight years earlier on June 20. Now, she said, they are grieving Davis’ death on Sept. 1.
“But Deonte went out doing something that he loved,” she said. “Does it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurts.”
She said she and members of her family had been unable to sleep as they struggled with the sudden loss. Relatives and friends remained with the family to support them.
Beamon-Massey also used the video to urge others to settle grudges and reconnect with people while they still can.
“We are not promised tomorrow,” she said.
Davis’ military awards included the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
The Army has not released further details about what caused the equipment to fall, whether other personnel witnessed the accident or whether workplace-safety failures are suspected. Army CID’s investigation remains ongoing.
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