suicide at liberty memorial

KCTigerFan · Post by **KCTigerFan** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:39 pm

Just heard on NPR that someone either jumped or fell from the top of the tower today.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:51 pm

According to the Star the tower and deck are now closed "until further notice".

Had to be either a suicide or darwinism, as it's pretty much impossible to accidenlty fall unless you're about 9 feet tall.

KCTigerFan · Post by **KCTigerFan** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:54 pm

scooterj wrote: According to the Star the tower and deck are now closed "until further notice".

Had to be either a suicide or darwinism, as it's pretty much impossible to accidenlty fall unless you're about 9 feet tall.

Could it be MURDER? Murder most foul? &&&

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:58 pm

KCTigerFan wrote: Could it be MURDER? Murder most foul? &&&

I thought about that too but it would be a unique and dramatic way of offing someone. Besides they'd have to off the elevator operator too.

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:03 pm

scooterj wrote: According to the Star the tower and deck are now closed "until further notice".

Had to be either a suicide or darwinism, as it's pretty much impossible to accidenlty fall unless you're about 9 feet tall.

I was just there a couple of weeks ago and at 6' 4", I felt the walls were a pretty insurmountable barrier. The only other thing would be a photo nut trying to get atop the walls to take a picture of the verticality of the tower (kind of like you do standing at the bottom looking up). Suicide would be my first hypothesis though. I hope they do not go off the deep end now and close the thing down indefinately.

Not to make light of the situation but this was not the longest fall to the death in the KC area today from a tower:

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking ... 84034.html

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:16 pm

Well, it happened, somebody jumped off the Liberty Memorial observation deck. I have been waiting for some moron to come along and do that so the city could overreact and wrap the deck with plexiglass or a fence and ruin one of the few open observation decks left in the country. I hope the city doesn't do this, but I'm pretty sure the press will jump all over the city and parks department and everybody will want to "prevent" this from happening again. People will sue etc etc. I hope they at least keep it open, they already ruined the City Hall deck by making it a pain in the ass to go up when it could be a tourist attraction for the city and even a revenue generator if marketed.

Sorry, but I have a feeling we will get nothing but extreme overeation to this over the next few days.

KCTigerFan · Post by **KCTigerFan** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:25 pm

If you are going to "off" yourself you don't need a structure that tall to do it. We might as well wrap all the buildings over 50' with fences and plexi. I certainly hope the realists prevail and prevent the Tower from putting up fences or closing it.

GRID wrote: Well, it happened, somebody jumped off the Liberty Memorial observation deck. I have been waiting for some moron to come along and do that so the city could overreact and wrap the deck with plexiglass or a fence and ruin one of the few open observation decks left in the country. I hope the city doesn't do this, but I'm pretty sure the press will jump all over the city and parks department and everybody will want to "prevent" this from happening again. People will sue etc etc. I hope they at least keep it open, they already ruined the City Hall deck by making it a pain in the ass to go up when it could be a tourist attraction for the city and even a revenue generator if marketed.

Sorry, but I have a feeling we will get nothing but extreme overeation to this over the next few days.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:26 pm

Actually GRID according to the Star someone jumped off in 1994. No fence then, so why would they now? You can't stop someone from killing themselves if they really want to.

Someone wanting to kill themselves doesn't even need to pay 5 bucks to go up in the tower. Leaping off the main platform, whose wall is about the same height, would be just as effective. They'd have to fence all that off too just to prevent the rare lone nut.

shinatoo · Post by **shinatoo** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:27 pm

1994!!!!

They closed it for over 10 years after that one.

Wha Whaaa Whaaaaaa

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:28 pm

shinatoo wrote: 1994!!!!

They closed it for over 10 years after that one.

Wha Whaaa Whaaaaaa

Burr hurr hurrr.

lock+load · Post by **lock+load** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:30 pm

So he had to pay an admission fee to commit suicide? Come on, do it somewhere free!

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:56 pm

Star reports that the police are investigating the death as a suicide. Apparently, he was alone on the tower when he jumped but people on top when he arrived indicate he was seemingly "distraught" when he got to the top. I agree with Grid, do not underestimate the city's capacity to overreact regardless of how logically flawed an overreaction to this event might be.

Post by **cknab1** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:02 pm

Just wait for some lawyer to get in the act. Some of those guys make me sick.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:54 pm

I predict they don't change a thing.

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:00 pm

KCPowercat wrote: I predict they don't change a thing.

I hope you are right, I might of jumped to conclusions, but it does happen a lot nowadays that everybody takes extreme action to a very limited and really, uncontrollable issue.

beautyfromashes · Post by **beautyfromashes** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:29 pm

GRID wrote: I hope you are right, I might of jumped to conclusions...

Perhaps a poor choice of words?

Post by **chrizow** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:07 am

i heard on NPR this morning that someone jumped off the tower in 1994 as well. i guess they didn't change anything then, hopefully they won't now either.

ignatius · Post by **ignatius** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:17 am

I don't think they'll change anything, or otherwise they'll have to do something about bridges over MO river, bridges over train tracks and everywhere else suicides have been successful. It would also be like shutting down casinos because many commit suicide over casino debt. Doesn't happen. And the City has too much vested in Liberty M to make drastic changes. The irony is, this incident does remind everyone they can actually go up Liberty Memorial. I was surprised many who live in the area had no idea that is doable, including some who work in Crown Center.

While I hate to see sensationalized stories, I am curious to hear what drove him over the edge.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:25 am

From today's Star update...

Memorial officials have discussed possible ways to deter people from jumping off the tower.

“But we came to the conclusion that there really isn’t anything you can do to make the situation better and still allow people to see the view of Kansas City,” Rendina said.

Posting a full-time security guard would be expensive and still could not stop someone determined to jump, she said.

Maitre D · Post by **Maitre D** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:32 am

Highlander wrote: Star reports that the police are investigating the death as a suicide. Apparently, he was alone on the tower when he jumped but people on top when he arrived indicate he was seemingly "distraught" when he got to the top. I agree with Grid, do not underestimate the city's capacity to overreact regardless of how logically flawed an overreaction to this event might be.

Just put a fence around the viewing area - works for the Empire State BUilding.

Funny story: visiting San Fran, we took a bus tour. When we got to the Golden Gate Bridge, the driver noted it's the #1 place in America to commit suicide. He said, "Some actually survive the jump. Know what we call them? Ultimate failures."

I was the only person on the bus laughing.