Authorities are investigating the deaths of a woman and her two children who went over Niagara Falls as an apparent murder-suicide, though they say the circumstances remain under investigation.
New York State Police responding to a call around 9 p.m. Monday determined 33-year-old Chianti Means had gone over the safety guard rail along with her kids, 9-year-old Roman Rossman and 5-month-old Mecca Means.
New York State Park Police and State Police searched for the trio, but couldn’t find them.
New York State Police are investigating an incident that left a mother and two young children dead.
A local Niagara Falls, N.Y., woman Chianti Means, 33, and her children Roman Rossman, 9, and Mecca Means, 5 months, fell to their deaths March 24 at Niagara Falls State Park after bypassing safety measures, according to police.
Authorities were called around 9 a.m. and “responded to an incident on or around Goat Island in Niagara Falls,” a statement from New York State Park Trooper James O’Callaghan read. “Investigation determined that three individuals… crossed over safety guild rail and went over Niagara Falls on Luna Island (attached to Goat Island).”
Police were unable to locate the victims’ bodies but have determined that the three individuals’ deaths were “intentional in nature.” An investigation is currently underway to learn more.
Trooper O’Callaghan spoke to reporters on March 25 to provide clarity on what police have discovered during their investigation so far.
“They went there and they never came out,” the Public Information Officer said. “That’s where we’re at.”
Noting there are “a lot of security measures” at the Falls, O’Callaghan added, “It’s not something where they just stumbled in.”
Although he couldn’t provide specifics of witness testimonies his team had gathered due to the ongoing investigation, the officer mentioned “it is alarming what they told us.”
“What were the actual circumstances of how that went down?” O’Callaghan continued. “That is the part that we may be able to solve or we may never know. But the fact of the matter is we don’t believe there are any other parties involved.”
“Based on the information we have,” he added, “we do know it was an intentional act, but the reason why is tougher to answer.”