17-Year-Old Dies in Fall at 45-Story Plaza Tower as Police Probe Unsecured Stairwell
Updated
Updated · NOLA.com · Aug 15
17-Year-Old Dies in Fall at 45-Story Plaza Tower as Police Probe Unsecured Stairwell
3 articles · Updated · NOLA.com · Aug 15
Summary
A 17-year-old Belle Chasse boy was pronounced dead at the scene after falling from an interior stairwell inside New Orleans' fenced-off Plaza Tower just after midnight Saturday.
Police said the teen had entered the derelict building with friends for "urban exploring," and a police log said the group had been drinking before he fell while descending stairs with no railing.
One other teen suffered a hand laceration, while Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said investigators were still sorting out the facts and would defer any criminal decision, though trespassing could apply.
Deputy Mayor Michael Harrison said securing the long-vacant tower is the owners' responsibility, adding the city has recently been in contact with them about the problem-plagued property.
The 45-story Plaza Tower has sat empty for decades and has been notorious for hazards including falling debris, underscoring renewed scrutiny of how the downtown building was secured.