A tragic incident unfolded at Niagara Falls, New York, when a mother and her two young children, including an infant, lost their lives in an apparent suicide. The mother, identified as 33-year-old Chianti Means, along with her children, 9-year-old Roman Rossman and 5-month-old Mecca Means, were residents of Niagara Falls. The incident occurred on Monday night at Luna Island, a popular tourist spot known for its nearly 200-foot drop.
New York State Police responded to the scene around 9 p.m. and concluded that the fall was intentional. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing. As of Wednesday, rescuers have been unable to recover any of the bodies.
Means was employed as a domestic violence counselor, as per her LinkedIn profile. She was a graduate of a school in Buffalo, a city near Niagara Falls. The news of her death has left her friends and acquaintances in shock, with many taking to social media to express their grief and disbelief.
One of her friends, Kayshawna Morgane, wrote on Facebook, “I have been speechless and crying and couldn’t sleep at all. My heart is broken. Mental health is no joke.” Another friend, Mich Molina, expressed her deep sorrow, stating that she was “literally sick to the stomach” and unable to process the emotions she was feeling.
Luna Island, where the incident took place, is one of several popular overlooks on the New York side of Niagara Falls. It is a secluded spot in the expansive Niagara Falls State Park, separated from the rest of the park by a causeway over a river channel. The overlook is managed by the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and is open to visitors 24/7.
The park sees more than 8 million visitors each year, according to the state agency. This incident is the latest in a series of tragedies at the landmark. In 2023, a similar incident occurred when a mother jumped into the Niagara Gorge with her son. While the mother did not survive, rescuers were able to save the five-year-old boy.