6-Year-Old Lit On Fire By Gasoline-Soaked Tennis Ball Thrown By Bully Neighbor Kid

A 6-year-old Connecticut boy was lit on fire after a neighborhood child allegedly dosed a tennis ball with gasoline, set it on fire, and threw it at his face.

The boy, Dominick Krankall, now has second- and third-degree burns on his face and legs after an 8-year-old boy allegedly bullied him and set him on fire, according to WNBC.

The 8-year-old neighbor had used gasoline and lighter from a nearby shed when he then coaxed Krankall to come near him.

Krankall's sister, Kayla Deegan, told WNBC that “the bully called his name and lured him over around the corner. In a matter of seconds he came back around the corner screaming, saying, ‘Mommy, they lit me on fire!’”

He was immediately rushed to a burn unit at Connecticut’s Bridgeport Hospital. He is currently in recovery.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with his recovery. They had received over $329,000 as of Thursday morning.

In the GoFundMe post, Deegan and Toni Gauger, who organized the fundraiser, wrote, “ MY 6 YEAR OLD BROTHER could’ve died. The kid covered a ball in gasoline, lit it on fire, and threw it at him. All in the matter of SECONDS. Dom has second and third degree burns on his face and leg. He’s going to be scarred for life mentally and physically.”

The family is looking to raise money for a “new home because it is not safe here,” calling for justice for Krankall.

In an update on GoFundMe, Deegan said that her brother is doing better and has started to eat a few bites of food. She called his hospitalization "heart-wrenching."

According to Deegan, this is not the first time that the neighbor boy has bullied her brother. She told WNBC, “Two months ago under the bully’s mother’s supervision, he was pushed into a wall and fell to the floor. And again, the mother refuses to admit her kid did it,” she added.

The police, fire, and the state fire investigation team are investigating the incident as well as Krankall’s injuries. No charges have been filed.