Investigation Launched Into Death of OSU Grad Who Was Tear-Gassed By Police During Protest

An investigation has been launched into the death of an Ohio State graduate student who was tear-gassed during a protest.

An Ohio State University student named Sarah Grossman, 22, died shortly after being sprayed with tear gas at a Columbus rally over the death of George Floyd. Grossman was marching downtown last month when officers began mass spraying protestors; NBC reports Grossman was identified online following her death. The woman died on May 30 at Sycamore Hospital.

“We have seen social media reports of a young woman passing away as the result of being sprayed during a protest in Columbus. What we know right now is that @ColsFire does not have a record of an EMT transport to any Columbus-area hospitals. The Montgomery County Coroner’s office is handling her autopsy. We will continue to look into any possible Columbus connection.” the City of Columbus said Thursday night in a tweet.

It will take about eight weeks for the Montgomery County Coroner’s office to complete Grossman’s autopsy. Sarah’s “best friend,” #JessaGrossman, shared a heartfelt message about Grossman on her Instagram page. “As some of you know, on 5/30 we lost one of the most kindest, beautiful souls, my sister Sarah. If you had ever met Sarah, you know that she impacted every persons life that she touched. She never cared about what anyone thought of her, only caring about helping others,” Jesse wrote.

Grossman majored in environmental science and Spanish. Stauf’s Coffee Roasters, where she worked, called her “brave individual” on a social media post.