This is a developing story and more information is to come.
By, Jilleen Barrett, Managing editor and Features editor
& Kyla Guilfoil, Editor-in-Chief
Christian Gallante, a junior at Manhattan College, has died after falling from Horan Hall on Thursday March 24, according to the New York Police Department.
The New York Police Department 50th Precinct responded to an incident outside of Horan Hall after a student was found injured at approximately 2:16 p.m. At 8:05 p.m., the NYPD confirmed to The Quadrangle that the 20-year-old male had died.
The cause of the fall, as well as the cause of death, are still being investigated by the NYPD.
According to the NYPD, the victim was conscious and alert when they arrived at the scene at 2:16 p.m.
“Upon arrival, we discovered a 20-year-old male,” an NYPD spokesperson said. “This male was conscious and alert. He was transported to St. Barnabas [Hospital] by EMS … [P]reliminarily, it would appear that any injuries were non-life threatening.”
Prior to the student’s death, Esmilda Abreu-Hornbostel, interim vice president for student life and dean of students, released a statement on the situation in an email at 6:11 p.m.
“On Thursday afternoon, one of our students was seriously injured in a fall at Horan Hall. Paramedics responded quickly, and the student was conscious when leaving by ambulance to a local hospital.”
President O’Donnell addressed the MC community in an email this morning.
“I write in deep sadness to inform you of the death of a beloved member of our community—Christian Gallante, ’23, a student in the School of Liberal Arts,” O’Donnell wrote. “There are no words that can adequately convey our sense of loss or our heartache in sympathy with Christian’s family and friends. It is at such times that we are most called to draw upon our resources as a close-knit community of Lasallians, united in our love for one another. In our grief, let us not hesitate to reach out to one another, and especially to those members of our community who are in a position to provide help and support.”
Abreu-Hornbostel told The Quadrangle that Gallante was never alone, as nurses and public safety officers came to him minutes after the fall occurred.
“I don’t know if I have words to encompass our loss,” Abreu-Hornbostel said. “It’s tragic, and my sense right now is that we must all pull together as a community, and hold space for love and care for each other.”
There will be a Mass in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers at noon today in memory of Gallante.
No other details are known to The Quadrangle or the NYPD at this time.
The Counseling Center will be offering a support group for students who are grieving the death of a loved one. Grief and loss are universal experiences that can feel isolating; especially if you are away from home. This group will provide an opportunity to talk with other grieving students in a safe and supportive environment.
To register for this group or for more information, please contact Nicol Zambrano directly by email at nzambrano@manhattan.edu or by phone at (718) 862-7342
Additional support may also be found at nycwell.cityofnewyork.us, where there are 24 hour text, call and chat options available. To access the hotline, call 1-888-NYC-WELL, or text “WELL” to 65173.