St. Joseph County police say 14-year-old Nolan Gerwels of Granger died Friday following a freak accident while playing basketball at his home. 
 
 This happened in the 10000 block of Arcadian Court. Police say the 911 call was made just before 6 p.m. 
 
 Assistant Chief Bill Thompson says Gerwels was playing in an indoor court at his house when the entire rim, backboard and supporting bracket came out of the wall and fell on him. 
 
 He was taken to Memorial where he was pronounced dead from a head injury, according to Thompson. 

 A 14 year old Granger boy was killed in a freak accident Friday while playing basketball inside his home. 
 
 Authorities were called to the 10000 block of Arcadian Court at 5:58 p.m. 
 
 Asst. Chief Bill Thompson said Nolan Gerwels was playing basketball, with his younger sister, when the rim, backboard and supportive mounting brace dislodged from the wall and fell on top of him causing a head injury. 
 
 He was taken to Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 
 
 Margaret Gerwels, Nolan's mother, sent NewsCenter 16 this statement: 
 
 “Nolan was an incredible kid. He was an honor student at discovery middle school. He was first chair percussionist with the discovery honors band. He loved sports. Played baseball with Harris storm, basketball with discovery middle school and tipping point where he played point guard. He ran cross country and track and field— preferring high jump. He just finished summer conditioning with the Marian basketball team and was optimistic about having a spot on the freshman team this coming fall. 
 
 Nolan was a kind, caring kid, who valued hard work, fairness, and loyalty. He was always willing to help anyone — he has even spent the last three years as assistant coach for his little sister’s upward basketball team. He was just an all around great kid and nice guy. Loved his friends and his family and was very close to all his siblings. 
 
 This is horrific and overwhelming. We are a close family, so everyone bears this heavy weight of his absence. He was so, so loved by everyone."
– "This is horrific and overwhelming," says the mother of a 14-year-old Indiana boy who died Friday in what's being described as a freak basketball accident. WSBT reports Nolan Gerwels was playing basketball on an indoor court at his Granger home with his little sister when the hoop's backboard, rim, and support bracket came loose and struck him in the head. "Obviously this is an extremely unusual event, so we're doing a little bit of investigation in terms of just exactly how the goal and the support bracket for it was anchored to the wall," St. Joseph County Police Assistant Chief Bill Thompson told the Indianapolis Star Monday. In a statement to WNDU, Margaret Gerwels describes her son as "incredible," an honor student and first-chair percussionist who had just wrapped up summer basketball conditioning in anticipation of making his school's freshman team. "Nolan was a kind, caring kid, who valued hard work, fairness, and loyalty. He was always willing to help anyone," even serving as the assistant coach for his sister's team for the past three years. "We are a close family, so everyone bears this heavy weight of his absence. He was so, so loved by everyone."