10TV News reports that a 17-year-old boy from Belle Chasse died early Saturday after falling from an open stairwell inside Plaza Tower in Downtown New Orleans. New Orleans EMS found another teen with deep lacerations to an arm and wrist. Anne Kirkpatrick said the group had broken into the vacant high-rise shortly before midnight Friday.
The fall came after a 911 call at 12:04 a.m. Saturday seeking medical help inside the fenced-off skyscraper at 1001 Howard Ave. Kirkpatrick said the teens climbed to a higher floor inside the 45-floor building, where the staircase no longer has safety railings.
Anne Kirkpatrick on the break-in
Kirkpatrick described the intrusion as “a little urban exploring” and said, “This is a private property, not a city building.” She also said, “This was an intrusion into a fenced-in area. Trespassing would be an appropriate charge, but that’s something we’ll address later. Every single one of those kids is traumatized right now.”
Police said the exact number of teens in the group was unknown. They said at least some were drinking alcohol and were believed to be underage. Kirkpatrick said the building’s owners may face criminal charges and added, “I would say ‘possibly,’” when asked about that possibility.
Plaza Tower in Downtown New Orleans
Michael Harrison called the death “a truly tragic incident” and said, “No one -- adults or kids -- should be entering this abandoned building.” He added, “It is the owners’ responsibility to make sure this abandoned building is secure” and, “It is very unsafe, as we’ve seen overnight.”
Plaza Tower has been abandoned since before Hurricane Katrina, and Kirkpatrick said it was her understanding that the owners provide on-site security. She added, “But I can’t tell you if it was there at the time, because the kids got in.”
Lincoln Area Properties signed a purchase agreement in July 2025 to buy the building from the estate of Joe Jaeger, but financing has not closed for its plan to convert the tower into an apartment building for senior housing. For readers near the site, the immediate issue is the same one police raised: who entered the fenced property, and whether trespassing and ownership-related charges follow, will be handled later.
