Boy's clothesline hanging death called "suspicious" by Minneapolis police

According to CBS Minnesota, residents in the McKinley neighborhood found the boy hanging from his neck on a clothesline in the backyard of an abandoned home last Thursday. They got him down and performed CPR, but the boy died of his injuries Monday night.

"It is my understanding is that he was playing with a group of kids that were 7 and 8 years old, possible some older kids. You have a 9-year-old boy who was found hanging his feet again were dragging the ground - that in general is suspicious itself," said Minneapolis police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington.

Police say they know there are lots of rumors and speculation about what may have happened, and are asking the public to not jump to conclusions and let investigators sort it all out.

"Was he playing a game? Was it a joke? Too early to say. That will come out with the investigation," Barrington said.

The Crimes Against Children Unit is now handling the investigation. They hope to learn more once the medical examiner determines an exact cause of death.

The victim's family has asked for privacy as they deal with this tragic loss.