A 34-year-old visitor to the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan’s West Village was found dead on Wednesday afternoon, apparently after a fall, the police said.
The man, whom the police did not identify, was pronounced dead at the scene at Gansevoort and Washington Streets after the police responded at about 5:30 p.m. The man had injuries indicative of falling from a height, the police said.
The medical examiner’s office will determine an official cause of death, and the incident is being investigated, the police said.
The director of the museum, Scott Rothkopf, sent an email to staff members that said the man had jumped from the museum, ArtNews reported.
In a separate statement, the museum said: “Authorities are still determining the details, but we are devastated that a visitor lost their life. Our thoughts are with their family and friends, and with our staff, visitors and neighbors who were nearby when it occurred.”
The museum, which was the third-most visited art museum in New York with nearly 890,000 visitors in 2024, according to The Art Newspaper, said it would delay its opening until noon on Thursday “as a mark of respect.”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
Victor Mather, who has been a reporter and editor at The Times for 25 years, covers sports and breaking news.
The post Man Dies After Apparent Fall From Whitney Museum appeared first on New York Times.
