A man died by suicide after he jumped off the Empire State Building, the third tallest building in the United States. The man's name is Cameron Dabghi, and he was a Yale University student at the young age of 21-years-old.
Dabaghi was from Austin, Texas. He was expected to graduate in 2011 majoring in East Asian studies. Yale College Dean Mary Miller wrote in a message to students today, "We are all deeply distressed by this news."
Police are investigating the incident. It is believed that Dabaghi took a running start and climbed and jumped off at the 86th floor. This is important to note, the building is 103 story's tall so he did not jump off the top.
Dabaghi jumped during rush hour traffic at 6:15 p.m. on March 30th. He fell down in front of a Bank of America business. A man covered his body with an umbrella to cover his shattered body.
The last believed suicide jumper leaped from the Empire State Building in 2006. Authorites believe there has been a total of 34 people who have jumped to their deaths from the Empire State Building since it opened in 1931.
Source: Wire service report by Mitch Marconi
"...Dabaghi took a running start and climbed and jumped off at the 86th floor"
ReplyDeleteTo '86' something means to put an end to it. I remember it as a reasonably common phrase decades ago, but I haven't heard it for a while. Gangster slang, apparently.
86 is also a term used in restaurants to signify that the entree is no longer available as it has been all ordered up by the patrons. There is a connection to deep six it as well that I have heard, which is of course to bury it because it's dead. There must be some significance as to how one could get out of the 86th floor as to the accessibility of an exit.
ReplyDeleteThe Empire State Building has an observation deck on the 86th floor -- that is how he was able to get out on that floor. I remember my grandparents taking me there when I was a little girl. I only made it to the 86th floor and was too scared to go higher (one is able to go higher).
ReplyDeleteBTW my mother was working at the NY City Public Library about 8 blocks north of the Empire State Building on Saturday, July 28th, 1945 when Lt. Colonel William Smith flew a B-25 Bomber into the 79th floor of the building. Eleven office workers were burned to death along with 3 crewmen including the pilot. A thick fog had reduced visibility and the pilot, for some unknown reason, found himself in the middle of Manhattan.
I was up there last year and was struck by the fact they make you take off your belt to go through security, but they don't mind if you take pocketfuls of change onto the O deck. Seems like that is more dangerous. It really is a long way up.
ReplyDeleteI remember the English Literature professor from Jordan(?) who shot up the 86 floor deck area; this was around 2000.
ReplyDeleteI think he killed a member of an up and coming rock band, so that bands possible future success was squelched.