Sarah Grossman, a recent Ohio State grad, died May 30 after attending protests in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The city of Columbus is looking into her death and any connections with the protests. Credit: Sarah Szilagy | Campus Editor
The city of Columbus is reviewing the death of an Ohio State graduate who died after being exposed to pepper spray while attending protests in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
Sarah Grossman died May 30 at Sycamore Hospital in Miamisburg, Ohio, according to the Montgomery County Coroner. The autopsy is expected to take eight weeks and the cause of death is unknown. She graduated from Ohio State in May with a degree in environment, economy, development and sustainability, and a degree in Spanish.
Tweets from the city of Columbus Twitter account June 3.
The city of Columbus is looking into possible connections with Columbus protests and Grossman’s death, according to a tweet from the city Wednesday. The city also said the Columbus Fire Department does not have a record of emergency medical services transporting her to any area hospitals.
According to a statement from the family, Grossman attended a protest in Columbus May 28 following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody May 25.
Although official results from the autopsy are not available, the family said initial toxicology reports indicate there “there was no evidence of any accidental or intentional drug overdose.” The family also stated that Grossman had no history of asthma or a peanut allergy.
“The cause of her death remains unknown, and we will look to the medical examiner’s findings in determining cause of death,” the statement reads.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include the timeline for the autopsy and to explain the cause of death is still unknown.
This story was updated with a statement from Sarah Grossman’s family June 9 at 6:25 p.m.
