national

High School Student Dies Following Fall in Abandoned New Orleans Tower

Published

Just the facts

Seventeen-year-old high school student Jacque St Ann died on August 15, 2026, after falling while descending an interior staircase inside the abandoned 45-story Plaza Tower in New Orleans, Louisiana. Emergency medical personnel pronounced St Ann dead at the scene, with the coroner's office attributing his death to blunt force injuries from a high-altitude fall. Responders also transported another teenager to a hospital for treatment of a severe arm injury. The Plaza Tower has remained unoccupied since prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, prompting New Orleans police to increase patrols and issue public safety warnings regarding trespass on derelict property.

Why this is news

Seventeen-year-old student Jacque St Ann died after falling inside the derelict 45-story Plaza Tower in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.

Sources

This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.

← All stories · Live timeline