PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) – Police believe a 9-year-old boy was riding, then fell off the float that ran over and killed him in the Portsmouth holiday parade over the weekend.

There are no charges pending in the death of Thomas Fogarty, police said at a news conference Monday.

Fogarty was a third-grade pupil at Greenland Central School. The school held a moment of silence in his memory Monday and counselors were with teachers during classroom meetings to talk about his death, said schools Superintendent George Cushing.

“Thomas was a beautiful, bright, energetic and life-loving boy” who loved being a Cub scout, said his aunt, Sharon Fogarty, reading from a statement at the news conference.

“He enjoyed reading and sports, especially swimming, baseball, and basketball. In his short life he fulfilled many of his dreams, including seeing his very first Red Sox game at Fenway Park this year, along with his younger brother, Andrew. “

Meanwhile, people left candles and messages at a small memorial in front of Fogarty’s home.

Police were investigating the accident, which occurred about 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts, but some said Fogarty was sitting on the Cub Scout float along with 15 to 20 other boys when it hit a bump and he fell off, in the path of the wheels.

The trailer, decorated with giant cereal boxes, was being pulled by a red pickup truck driven by a parent. Police declined to identify the driver. One man who watched the parade while taking a break from his restaurant job said Fogarty sat with his legs dangling over the side of the trailer before he fell.

Jeff Latimer, a Rye Scoutmaster who was on the float behind Fogarty’s, said a child on the float yelled, “Somebody just got run over.” The parade came to a halt as emergency responders raced to help Fogarty.

He was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where he died, police said.

A Portsmouth police department critical incident specialist and chaplain counseled the Cub Scouts who witnessed the accident Saturday night.

An emergency meeting was held at Greenland Central School on Sunday to plan how to help Fogarty’s classmates. Resources also will be offered to parents, said Cheryl Van Allen, a vice president of the Greenland Parent Organization.

“People are really a mess,” she said. “These kids were all in Scouts together.”

The parade resumed after the accident. Prescott Park Arts Festival director Deborah Tombleson said the group’s production manager and police made the decision to continue.

“It probably would have been harder on everybody to have shut it down at that point,” she said.

Tombleson said every group with a float must submit an application that addresses safety issues, but no one from the Prescott Park Arts Festival inspects the floats. Police only deal with safety in terms of traffic, Magnant said.

“Obviously, we’re going to take this incident very seriously,” Tombleson said. “We are all saddened by what happened and intend to work with the city on issues involved in this accident.”

Police are asking for help from anyone who witnessed the accident or took photos or video of the area where it occurred, on Islington Street near Columbia Street.

AP-ES-12-04-06 1826EST