A tragedy struck at the Ohio State University (OSU) spring graduation ceremony in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, May 5th, 2024 when a woman fell approximately 136 feet from the stands of Ohio Stadium, resulting in her death.
The Columbus Police Department is probing the circumstances leading to the incident. The initial investigation indicates the fall was not accidental or due to foul play, raising suspicions of suicide. Larissa Brady, a 53-year-old woman from Georgia, was identified as the deceased through her fingerprints. The Franklin County coroner’s office confirmed her death. Brady was the mother of one of the OSU graduates.
The incident unfolded around 12:30 p.m. EDT as the graduation ceremony was underway and the graduates were making their entrance into the stadium. Medics were dispatched to the stadium’s entrances following the police report of the fall. The emergency personnel declared Brady dead at the scene.
OSU spokesperson Benjamin Johnson expressed his condolences saying, “Ohio State is grieving the death of Larissa Brady, a family member of one of our graduates. Our hearts go out to her family and friends during this exceptionally difficult time”.
Witnesses say the incident took place near gate 30 of the stadium. After the tragic incident, the police sealed off the area. The university offered counseling and support to students and attendees, some of whom were visibly distressed by the incident.
An eyewitness recollected the horrifying incident, “It was shocking, absolutely unbelievable.” They saw a single person fall as the last group of graduates was entering the stadium. They noted that the fall happened near the tunnel used by OSU football players during home games.
Johnson assured that the university would provide counseling and other support resources for anyone affected by the tragic incident.
However, the university’s handling of the incident has sparked frustration among graduates, staff, and attendees. Despite the tragic incident, the three-hour event proceeded without interruption, and the university made no mention of the death.
Anthony Mullen, an OSU psychology program graduate, expressed a mix of shock and excitement on his graduation day. His family had traveled from Canton, Ohio, for the supposed joyous event.
Mullen was disappointed that the university did not acknowledge the tragic incident during the ceremony. “My heart goes out to them [the person’s family],” he said.
Dr. Pranav Jani, an OSU faculty member, empathized with the university’s predicament. However, he proposed that the administration could have held a moment of silence or made a brief announcement acknowledging the tragedy. He also expressed shock upon discovering the sad news through a message rather than from the university itself.
While both Mullen and Dr. Jani acknowledged that the entire graduation couldn’t have been cancelled, they felt that the university’s absolute silence on the matter was a significant oversight.
