A 14-year-old girl died Wednesday night after falling from The Chapin School, an all-girls private school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, police said. Officers responded about 7:35 p.m. and found the teen unconscious outside the building; she was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she died.
The case has shaken the neighborhood as detectives work to determine how the fall happened. Investigators said early findings show injuries consistent with a fall from height. They do not suspect foul play and are examining whether the death was accidental or a suicide. The girl’s name has not been released pending family notification. School leaders notified families as winter break approached and said counseling resources would be available.
Officers taped off East End Avenue near East 84th Street as firefighters and medics arrived. Witnesses described a heavy emergency response on the residential block overlooking the East River. The Chapin School, founded in 1901, serves students from kindergarten through grade 12 and is known for prominent alumni. Police said building and street cameras are being reviewed and that statements are being taken from staff and bystanders who were nearby when the teen was found.
Authorities emphasized that details remain limited while the investigation continues. Detectives are mapping the teen’s movements in the hour before the fall and checking whether any scaffolding, rooftops or upper-floor areas were accessible. Officials did not release the floor or location from which the teen may have fallen and said no criminal charges are anticipated at this stage. The medical examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death.
The death follows a separate incident last month in which a 16-year-old student from nearby Regis High School died after a fall, drawing renewed attention to student well-being in the area. Chapin administrators wrote that the community was “heartbroken” and would share additional updates with families as appropriate. Neighbors left small bouquets along the sidewalk by Thursday morning.
As of Thursday, police said the case remains an active, noncriminal investigation. The next update is expected after the medical examiner’s ruling and notification of the teen’s relatives.
Author note: Last updated December 18, 2025.