17-Year-Old Prep School Student Jumps to His Death

NEW YORK – A 17-year-old student at a prestigious Manhattan prep school jumped to his death from an 11th floor window Wednesday as children played on the sidewalk below, police said.

Authorities said that sometime after the teen arrived for classes at The Dalton School, he went to a dance studio, opened a window and jumped. Students playing below scattered when the body hit the sidewalk, witnesses told the Daily News.

The high school junior had won academic awards and was involved in school activities, including its Web site. His brother also attends Dalton.

Dalton said in a statement that it was providing counseling and support services on site and to the larger school community.

"The Dalton School community is deeply saddened by today's tragedy, which involved the death of a beloved 11th grade student," the school said. "Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family."

Dalton has 1,300 students in kindergarten through high school and was founded in 1919. It is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, near Central Park and the Guggenheim Museum.

Celebrities like Chevy Chase and Claire Danes and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper have attended the school.