Mother identified as person killed in fall at daughter’s graduation ceremony at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A woman who fell from the stands to her death during a graduation ceremony at Ohio State University last weekend has been identified as a woman whose daughter received her diploma.

The Franklin County coroner’s office said the 53-year-old was pronounced dead Sunday just outside Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch, citing coroner’s documents, reported that the death was being investigated as an apparent suicide.

An investigation continues into how the woman fell from the stadium, which the school says is 136 feet (41 meters) high, to the sidewalk below. However, Ohio State police do not suspect foul play and believe the fall was not accidental, university spokesman Ben Johnson said Tuesday.

It happened around noon, near the stadium’s bell tower, as the last graduates entered the stadium. According to the freshman program, the woman’s daughter was also one of the graduates.

The commencement continued with no discussion of what happened, but some students and others at the ceremony were visibly upset after the fall. A spokesman said the university had contacted all alumni and staff who volunteered at graduation to offer counseling services.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes a discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the U.S. National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling 988 or texting. There is also online chat at 988lifeline.org