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The Niagara Falls community gathered in solidarity on Friday evening to honor the memory of 33-year-old Chianti Means and her two children, 9-year-old Roman Rossman and 5-month-old Mecca Means, who tragically jumped over Niagara Falls earlier this week. The vigil, held at Bacon Memorial Presbyterian Church, provided a space for grieving family members, friends, and neighbors to come together in remembrance and support.
According to state police, the tragic incident occurred on Monday night at Luna Island, where Means was with her 9-year-old daughter and 5-month-old son. Authorities believe the 9-year-old climbed over the guard rail first, followed by her mother and baby brother.
New York State Police responded to Goat Island around 9am after first-hand reports that individual(s) had gone over the falls. According to police, the family bypassed safety measures and crossed over a safety guardrail before falling from Luna Island, which is connected to Goat Island.
Trooper James O’Callaghan, a spokesperson for the New York State Park Police, confirmed with absolute certainty that the mother's decision to jump to her death, and bring her two young children with her, was intentional.
“They went there and they never came out,” O’Callaghan stated during a press briefing on October 30th.
He emphasized the presence of numerous security measures at the Falls, which indicates the family did not accidentally stumble into a dangerous area. While the bodies of the victims have not yet been recovered, police are actively investigating every lead to learn more about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
O’Callaghan noted that witness testimonies has raised concerns, although he refrained from disclosing specific details due to the ongoing investigation.
According to sources, the 9-year-old did not willingly go over the falls and was observed being forced to do so by his mother. He was the first to go over the brink of Niagara Falls.
“It is alarming what they told us,” he remarked. His comments merely highlighted the complexity of the situation.
O’Callaghan also acknowledged the difficulty in determining motivations in these types of situations. “Based on the information we have, we do know it was an intentional act, but the reason why is tougher to answer,” he said.
The community is now left to grapple with the loss of three lives lost far too soon. The vigil started at 6pm, drawing a somber crowd of community members who came to pay their respects. Attendees participated in brief prayers and shared words of encouragement, lighting candles in memory of the family.
Mental health counselors were present at the vigil offering their services to anyone in need of support. The emotional toll of the incident has been felt deeply throughout the community as many struggle to process the loss and the reasons behind it.
Recovery efforts have been ongoing since the incident but have been unsuccessful thus far. Search teams have scoured the lower Niagara River for any signs of the mother and her two children. Boats have been deployed along a stretch of the river and volunteers have been using binoculars to scan the shoreline.
Due to the powerful currents of the river, the bodies will inevitably be carried further downstream with many victims of similar tragedies washing up at the Niagara Falls Power Vista or further into Lake Ontario. An average of 25 to 40 bodies are recovered from the area each year, often without public awareness.
As the search continues, the Niagara Falls community continues to hold onto the memories of Chianti Means and her children as they navigate this unimaginable loss.
Community Holds Vigil for Mother and Two Children that Jumped over Niagara Falls