A 12-year-old boy who died after a . schoolyard attack was punched two or three times in the face and refused . to fight back, investigators confirmed yesterday. An initial investigation into the . tragic death of Bailey O'Neill, from Darby Township, Pennsylvania, has . confirmed claims by his parents that he was the innocent victim of . bullies and an honors student who wanted to avoid trouble. Bailey suffered a concussion, broken . nose and other injuries on January 10 at Darby Township School when two boys jumped him in recess - with one pushing him and the . other landing the blows. Sports fan: Bailey O'Neill loved watching sports with his dad Rob, pictured. Investigators have confirmed he was hit three times in a school attack before his death . Tragic: Bailey O'Neill died aged 12 a day after his birthday . Champion: Bailey's family have spoken of his love of baseball as they paid tribute to the fun-loving youngster . Days later he started suffering violent seizures causing doctors to put him in a medical coma. He had a long battle in hospital but sadly died on Sunday - just a day after his 12th birthday. Since the incident his father, Rob . O'Neill, has started an anti- bullying campaign which has been backed by . Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice. His mother Jini Risoldi has spoken about . how the brief altercation destroyed his health and ultimately claimed . the life of her child. 'He was a perfectly healthy boy before January 10,' she told NBC. 'He was an honor roll student. He was . smart. He was loving. I asked him why he did not fight back and he said . he didn’t want to get in trouble,' she added . 'No more phone calls, no more hanging out, no one to say daddy - it's the worst thing,' Rob O'Neill told ABC News. 'He didn't want to fight that day. He . wanted to walk away. And that's it. He wanted to walk away. It shouldn't . have ever happened. I'm at peace at the fact he doesn't have the pain . anymore - I feel he's safe now, he doesn't have to suffer anymore.' Fun: Bailey with the other members of his Little League team after they racked up a memorable victory . Fan: Bailey, who lived in a suburb of Philadelphia, was a keen sportsman . 'I don't ever want another kid to end up like Bailey,' he added to WPTV. Witnesses at the school had previously reported that Bailey wanted to avoid the fight. But investigators say there is no evidence so far . that the sixth-grader had been builled by the boys in the run up to the . attack. They believe it could have been a one off incident. They say the next stage of their . inquiries will further examine the relationships between the boys and to . decide whether Bailey's seizures were directed related to the injuries . he sustained in the fight. That will decide whether the boys . involved face charges ranging from harassment and simple assault to . involuntary manslaughter. 'We're having trouble showing there was . bullying, as a course of conduct as we define it, intimidation or . harassment between these two boys over a course of time,' Delaware . County District Attorney Jack Whelan said. 'We have not been able to . establish that.' 'The question is, what degree of charge . are we filing? Are we going to be able to establish the seizure disorder . that caused his death is directly related to the punches thrown in the . school yard that particular day?' Bailey's parents say the fight was the . cause of his illness. They took him to the emergency room days after the incident saying he seemed different . and not himself in the days after the concussion before the seizures began. The boys involved also aged 11 have not been identified. The father of the boy who threw the . punches has expressed his sadness for the Bailey family but denied the categorization of his son as a bully. Memories: Those who knew Bailey describe him as a family loving boy who liked sport . Family: This composite image was posted on Facebook in memory of the schoolboy . 'I feel sorry you know,' he told NBC10. 'I don’t know the family, but no one wants death on anybody. I feel . sorry for the young man and I feel sorry for my son because my son’s . depicted as a bully.' He added that his son was 'not the monster everybody is trying to make him out to be'. The two boys were suspended from the school for two days while Bailey was given an ice pack and sent back to class. The Roman Catholic teenager was due to be confirmed on March 18. A tribute from his family said he loved . sports and his family - he has two step siblings, brother Joshua Risoldi . and sister Allyson Risoldi. 'Bailey loved being with his family, he . enjoyed playing and watching sports with his Dad. Bailey also loved . spending time at the beach and on other family outings. Bailey touched . so many lives and was loved by many friends and family. He enjoyed . riding his skate board, scooter, playing video games, baseball with . Briarcliffe A.A. and football with his friends.' His funeral will take place at St. Joseph Church, Woodlawn Ave on Saturday. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office is expected to rule on the cause of his death later this month. Southeast Delco School District . Superintendent Stephen Butz said the school is cooperating with the investigation. 'We . take bullying seriously,' he said.  'We are very concerned about the . medical condition of the student and our thoughts and prayers are with . the family and students.'
Bailey O'Neill died on Sunday - a .
day after his 12th birthday - following a long illness after the attack .
by two boys at Darby Township School .
Investigators have confirmed he was punched two to three times by one boy as he tried to cover his face and refused to retaliate .
His .
nose was broken and he suffered concussion before having violent .
seizures in the days that followed - forcing doctors to put him into a .
medically-induced coma .
Father of the boy who threw the punches said his son 'is not a monster'
District Attorney says it appears attack was not the result of a sustained campaign of abuse against Bailey .
A 12-year-old boy who died after a . schoolyard attack was punched two or three times in the face and refused . to fight back, investigators confirmed yesterday. An initial investigation into the . tragic death of Bailey O'Neill, from Darby Township, Pennsylvania, has . confirmed claims by his parents that he was the innocent victim of . bullies and an honors student who wanted to avoid trouble. Bailey suffered a concussion, broken . nose and other injuries on January 10 at Darby Township School when two boys jumped him in recess - with one pushing him and the . other landing the blows. Sports fan: Bailey O'Neill loved watching sports with his dad Rob, pictured. Investigators have confirmed he was hit three times in a school attack before his death . Tragic: Bailey O'Neill died aged 12 a day after his birthday . Champion: Bailey's family have spoken of his love of baseball as they paid tribute to the fun-loving youngster . Days later he started suffering violent seizures causing doctors to put him in a medical coma. He had a long battle in hospital but sadly died on Sunday - just a day after his 12th birthday. Since the incident his father, Rob . O'Neill, has started an anti- bullying campaign which has been backed by . Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice. His mother Jini Risoldi has spoken about . how the brief altercation destroyed his health and ultimately claimed . the life of her child. 'He was a perfectly healthy boy before January 10,' she told NBC. 'He was an honor roll student. He was . smart. He was loving. I asked him why he did not fight back and he said . he didn’t want to get in trouble,' she added . 'No more phone calls, no more hanging out, no one to say daddy - it's the worst thing,' Rob O'Neill told ABC News. 'He didn't want to fight that day. He . wanted to walk away. And that's it. He wanted to walk away. It shouldn't . have ever happened. I'm at peace at the fact he doesn't have the pain . anymore - I feel he's safe now, he doesn't have to suffer anymore.' Fun: Bailey with the other members of his Little League team after they racked up a memorable victory . Fan: Bailey, who lived in a suburb of Philadelphia, was a keen sportsman . 'I don't ever want another kid to end up like Bailey,' he added to WPTV. Witnesses at the school had previously reported that Bailey wanted to avoid the fight. But investigators say there is no evidence so far . that the sixth-grader had been builled by the boys in the run up to the . attack. They believe it could have been a one off incident. They say the next stage of their . inquiries will further examine the relationships between the boys and to . decide whether Bailey's seizures were directed related to the injuries . he sustained in the fight. That will decide whether the boys . involved face charges ranging from harassment and simple assault to . involuntary manslaughter. 'We're having trouble showing there was . bullying, as a course of conduct as we define it, intimidation or . harassment between these two boys over a course of time,' Delaware . County District Attorney Jack Whelan said. 'We have not been able to . establish that.' 'The question is, what degree of charge . are we filing? Are we going to be able to establish the seizure disorder . that caused his death is directly related to the punches thrown in the . school yard that particular day?' Bailey's parents say the fight was the . cause of his illness. They took him to the emergency room days after the incident saying he seemed different . and not himself in the days after the concussion before the seizures began. The boys involved also aged 11 have not been identified. The father of the boy who threw the . punches has expressed his sadness for the Bailey family but denied the categorization of his son as a bully. Memories: Those who knew Bailey describe him as a family loving boy who liked sport . Family: This composite image was posted on Facebook in memory of the schoolboy . 'I feel sorry you know,' he told NBC10. 'I don’t know the family, but no one wants death on anybody. I feel . sorry for the young man and I feel sorry for my son because my son’s . depicted as a bully.' He added that his son was 'not the monster everybody is trying to make him out to be'. The two boys were suspended from the school for two days while Bailey was given an ice pack and sent back to class. The Roman Catholic teenager was due to be confirmed on March 18. A tribute from his family said he loved . sports and his family - he has two step siblings, brother Joshua Risoldi . and sister Allyson Risoldi. 'Bailey loved being with his family, he . enjoyed playing and watching sports with his Dad. Bailey also loved . spending time at the beach and on other family outings. Bailey touched . so many lives and was loved by many friends and family. He enjoyed . riding his skate board, scooter, playing video games, baseball with . Briarcliffe A.A. and football with his friends.' His funeral will take place at St. Joseph Church, Woodlawn Ave on Saturday. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office is expected to rule on the cause of his death later this month. Southeast Delco School District . Superintendent Stephen Butz said the school is cooperating with the investigation. 'We . take bullying seriously,' he said.  'We are very concerned about the . medical condition of the student and our thoughts and prayers are with . the family and students.'
attack was punched two or three times in the face and refused . to fight back, investigators January 10 at Darby Township School when two boys pictured. Investigators have confirmed he was hit Tragic: Bailey O'Neill died aged 12 a day after doctors to put him in a medical coma. He had a long battle in hospital but sadly died on Sunday - just a day after his 12th birthday. Since the of time,' Delaware . County District Attorney different . and not himself in the days after the concussion before the seizures began. The boys The father of the boy who threw the . punches has son was 'not the monster everybody is trying to