Quincy 'Still Trying To Process' Death Of Man Found Injured Outside American Legion

QUINCY (CBS) -- The Squantum community in Quincy is left asking questions after a 44-year-old man who was found badly injured in front of an American Legion post early Sunday morning died. Christopher McCallum, of Bridgewater, was described as the dedicated father and genuine friend.

Police responded to the Nickerson Post on Moon Island Rd at about 1 a.m. after a large disturbance was reported. McCallum was found unconscious and bleeding. He was hospitalized and died Monday at Boston Medical Center.

Witness statements claim there was a series of fights at the American Legion post and as McCallum tried to break one of them up, he was struck. He ended up outside and collapsed. One person throwing punches was the son of a retired Quincy police officer.

"Salt of the earth, as they say. You're not going to find a more dedicated dad and just an all-around good guy," said Bill Doyle, McCallum's father-in-law.

McCallum's childhood friend David Rychalsky also spoke to his character. "He was a solid guy... a guy you would want to be friends with."

McCallum "always had a smile on his face," said Rychalsky. He had a "beautiful wife and family."

Rychalsky added, "I think everybody is still trying to process it."

He described the Squantum region of Quincy as a tight-knit community. "There's a lot of roots and family generations here. Everybody knows everybody is the easiest way to put it."

Christen Schatzel, who lives across the street from the American Legion, agreed that the neighbors here are close with one another. She said the Nickerson Post is a popular gathering place.

"It can definitely get pretty crowded over there. Sometimes, this whole street is lined with cars," Schatzel explained, although she said that was not the case on Saturday night.

Schatzel said she saw police cruisers when she looked outside around 1 a.m. "It appeared that people coming out of the post had found the man laying there and called the cops and they were attempting CPR. It looked hectic."

When EMTs arrived, they took over the CPR efforts, she recalled. "Then they loaded him in the ambulance but I was surprised the ambulance didn't rush out -- it made me think that it wasn't good."

Schatzel did not know McCallum personally but she is "horrified" by his death.

"Couldn't believe that somebody could do that to another person and then just leave them. I didn't know if he had been hit by a car or over the head. You just never know. It seemed like nobody that was there saw what actually happened."

No word yet on any arrests.

A GoFundMe account has been setup to help McCallum's wife and children.