Person dies after falling from the stands at Ohio State graduation ceremony
May 6, 2024, 3:13 PM | Updated: May 7, 2024, 5:39 am
Ohio State University police cordoned off an area outside Ohio Stadium after someone fell from the stands and died during a graduation ceremony on May 5. Mandatory Credit: Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network via CNN Newsource
(CNN) — A person fell from the stands at the football stadium during Ohio State University’s graduation ceremony and died Sunday, university officials confirmed.
“Tragically, an individual fell from the stands and is deceased,” Benjamin Johnson, a representative for the university, told CNN in an email Monday, adding the school had no additional details to share.
The identity of the person who died is not yet available.
The commencement was hosted at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, which can seat more than 100,000 people. Guests were seated in several levels of bleachers lining the horseshoe-shaped stadium, as seen in video of the event posted by Ohio State.
Ohio State awarded 12,555 degrees and certificates at the ceremony Sunday to students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries, the university reported.
Chris Pan, a social entrepreneur, musician and inspirational speaker was the designated commencement speaker for the event.
The university is working to make counseling and other support resources available for anyone affected by the incident, Johnson said.
Stadium deaths are not unheard of, especially as stadiums are being built bigger to accommodate larger crowds, researchers say.
Ohio Stadium could seat about 66,000 people when it was first built in 1922. Over the years, the stadium has seen several renovations, including those to build extra seating and install railings, according to Ohio State.
