The University of Kentucky is mourning the loss of its student Anne Gieske, who was killed in Seoul, South Korea, during a dangerous crowd surge amid Halloween festivities on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 29.
on behalf of the family Sunday: “We are completely devastated and heartbroken over the loss of Anne Marie. She was a bright light loved by all. We ask for your prayers but also the respect of our privacy.”—including two American citizens—and 103 were injured during the dangerous crowd surge that occurred in a popular nightlife district of Seoul around 10:15 p.m. local time. Of those who were injured, 23 were in critical condition while 79 sustained less severe injuries.
On Saturday, October 30, an estimated 100,000 people gathered in the Itaewon neighborhood to celebrate Halloween. The incident was first described as a stampede, but further video captured what appeared to be a crowd surge as people tried to push forward through a packed crowd in a narrow alley. 1,700 personnel from across South Korea responded to the incident, which included 520 firefighters, 1,100 police officers, and 70 government workers. Reagan Sangwa, 43, who lives nearby said he found out about the incident on social media amid the chaos and went to try to help.