A mother who jumped to her death from Niagara Falls pushed her children over the railing first, according to a report.
Chianti Means, 33, died suddenly along with her children Roman Rossman, nine, and Mecca Means, five months, on Monday night.
State Park Police said they had reviewed security footage from Luna Park, the area near the top of the falls, to determine the sequence of events, the Niagara Gazette information.
The video showed Roman was the first to jump over the railings, followed by Mecca and finally Means, according to police.
State police public information officer James O’Callaghan said it did not appear the mother was chasing her children as they plunged to their deaths.
Mother Chianti Means, 33, who jumped from Niagara Falls pushed her two children first, report says
“We believe this was intentional,” he said at a news conference. “I’m not going to go into what the witnesses saw because it is still an active case, but what they told us is alarming.”
Police were called to the natural beauty spot to report that a woman had jumped from the waterfall at around 9pm that day.
The New York State Police launched unmanned aircraft systems, aviation and underwater recovery units to assist in the search for Means and his children.
However, it is feared that their bodies will never be recovered from the beautiful place, where 3,610 tons of water flow every second.
On Friday night, the grieving community gathered for a candlelight vigil to try to come to terms with the shocking loss.
No motive has yet been revealed for Means’ actions, but police are investigating a possible mental health angle, the Gazette reports.
The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation is conducting an investigation but does not anticipate criminal charges, according to the outlet.
Roman (left) was the first to jump over the bars, followed by his five-month-old daughter Mecca.
The New York State Police launched unmanned aircraft systems, aviation and underwater recovery units to assist in the search for Means and his children.
It is understood Means, along with his two children, crossed the ‘safety guild railing’ on Luna Island at around 9pm on Monday night (file image of railing)
The children’s parents are cooperating with the investigation.
Following Means’ death, old Facebook posts she had made expressing her desire to return to her daughter’s father resurfaced online.
On October 14, Means mourned that she and her daughter’s father were no longer together.
Because I was a stupid pregnant bitch who swore up and down that I don’t want him,’ she wrote about the breakup. “I need all the positive energy I can get,” he said.
Several of Means’ friends have posted tributes on Facebook for the mother of two.
“You never really know what someone is going through, RIP,” Niesha Eukeya said.
“I can’t even write a post about her and share memories,” wrote Mich Molina.