NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Niagara Falls community is grieving together after a mother and her two children went over the American side of Niagara Falls on Monday night.
New York State Police said they responded to an incident on Goat Island at about 9 p.m. Monday. According to investigators, 33-year-old Chianti Means, 9-year-old Roman Rossman and 5-month-old Mecca Means crossed over the guard rail and went over the falls on Luna Island.
A candlelight vigil was held Friday at Bacon Memorial Presbyterian Church in Niagara Falls. Friends of Rossman paid their respects.
"We want to offer our condolences, to Chianti," said Bacon Memorial Presbyterian Church Pastor Lisa Giacomazza. "We want to offer an opportunity for the community to turn the page, to start healing."
New York State Police and New York Park Police are calling the incident "intentional." You can watch our original reporting below and read more here.
"It's tough. You have little ones in the school system that's going through this. I don't know how they're going to make sense of it," said Chosen Fellowship, VOH Center Assistant Pastor Joyce Sconiers. "It's important for the community to have different avenues for people to come in and share."
Pastor Sconiers hopes moments like these remind people they're not alone.
"We grieve and it's alright to grieve and it's a good thing to be part of a community like this, Niagara Falls," said Pastor Sconiers.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, there's always help available:
- Erie County Crisis Services: (716) 834-3131
- Niagara County Crisis Services: (716) 285-3515
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988
