The Ohio State community mourns the passing of Larissa Brady, an alumna’s relative: Columbus, Ohio Authorities said on Tuesday that the woman who died after falling from Ohio Stadium during Ohio State University’s spring commencement on Sunday is from Georgia. The coroner’s office reported that Columbus firemen pronounced 53-year-old Larissa Brady of Woodstock, Georgia, north of Marietta, dead at 12:25 p.m. Sunday outside Ohio Stadium. The coroner’s office identified Brady by fingerprints. Brady’s daughter was presented with a bachelor’s degree, per the university’s schedule.
The coroner’s office reported that Brady spoke with her daughter upon her arrival at the stadium for the commencement ceremony. The coroner’s office reported that Brady entered the stadium with her spouse and 12-year-old son to watch. Brady wanted to move to a higher portion of the stadium after taking her seat. Her family told detectives they lost visual contact with her. After reaching the final row of benches, witnesses saw Brady climb over the stadium’s concrete wall, the coroner’s office reported. Brady was in section C30 near the bell tower.
An Inquiry Into The Fatal Accident
The coroner’s office found that Brady had mental health issues and had attempted suicide twice, most recently earlier this year. Her husband told officials she didn’t take her medications. Ohio State and its police department have revealed little facts about Sunday’s graduation ceremony fatality. In a Tuesday email, university spokesperson Ben Johnson said the Ohio State police did not suspect any wrongdoing or deem the fall accidental.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death as a suicide, according to preliminary findings seen by The Dispatch, part of USA TODAY Network. Johnson told The Dispatch that the institution counseled all graduates and staff members who volunteered at the graduation ceremony after the disaster. The Sunday inauguration continued uninterrupted as the crowd learned of the death.
The tragedy was not mentioned by university administration or commencement speakers like social entrepreneur and OSU alum Chris Pan. As students left the stadium graduation ceremony, they passed Brady’s fall site. Yellow crime scene tape remained. “Ohio State is mourning the loss of Larissa Brady, a relative of an alumni,” Johnson emailed. “We express our deepest condolences to her family and friends during this extraordinarily challenging period.”