What happened to the Chapin School? Rumors erupt online as student found dead at elite NYC school

An Upper East Side, Manhattan school was struck with tragedy on Wednesday, December 17. A 14-year-old reportedly fell from the Chapin School building, the New York City Police Department confirmed. 

After various outlets reported the incident, unverified rumors about the teenager’s identity emerged online. The claims suggested that the deceased was identified as Edgar Vargas. An obituary-style post from the Daily Wireline Facebook page asserted:  

“The Chapin School community is mourning the passing of Edgar Alfredo Vargas, a 14-year-old ninth-grade student, who tragically passed away on December 17, 2025.” 

Similar claims were made by other pages and blogs, but NYPD has not revealed the identity of the deceased student. The viral rumors seemingly stemmed from the case of another teen's death that happened a decade ago.

For the unversed, Edgar Vargas was an 18-year-old student at Captain John L. Chapin High School in El Paso, Texas. According to El Paso Times, he died in 2015 after his 2005 Ford F-150 crashed into a canyon below Red Mountain Pass in Ouray County, Colorado. 

The teen was found unconscious and unresponsive outside the Chapin School building in Upper Side Manhattan

NYPD received a 911 call around 7:35 pm on Wednesday. The report was about the discovery of an unconscious and unresponsive teen outside the building of the Chapin School. 

Upon arrival at 100 East End Avenue, where the Chapin School is located, the officers observed a 14-year-old female “with injuries indicative of falling from an elevated position.” An NYPD spokesperson stated (via People): 

“EMS responded and transported the female to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.” 

Different outlets reported that no arrests have been made in connection with the incident, while it remains unclear whether the teen suffered an accidental fall or took her own life. The NYPD spokesperson told People:

“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. There are no arrests at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing. The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending proper family notification.” 

The 14-year-old’s death is the second such incident reported in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, after a Regis High School student, 16, plunged to his death on November 13. A Regis High representative described the teen's death as "an unimaginable tragedy," in a statement. 

According to the Chapin School’s official website, the institution was established in 1901 by Maria Bowen Chapin. The site lists $68,250 as the tuition expense at the elite all-girls private school, while a laptop fee and Parents' Association Dues are estimated at $2,000 and $100, respectively.