Tragedy came to a nearly idyllic block of the Upper East Side Thursday, Nov. 13, with the shocking news that a Regis High student had died, having fallen from the fifth floor of the illustrious Jesuit-run Catholic school in an apparent suicide.

According to NYPD, the unnamed 16-year-old boy plunged from a fifth-floor window at 55 E. 84th St. at around 9:29 a.m. This edifice stands on the north side mid-block between Park and Madison avenues.

He was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

At press time, the victim’s name had not been released, and police say no criminality is suspected.

Regis is an academically rigorous, Jesuit-run tuition-free Catholic boys school for grades 9-12, founded in 1914. The Latin inscription on its edifice reads Deo et Patriae Pietas Christiana Erexit (“Built by Christian Piety for God and Country”).

All Regis students must be baptized, though not confirmed. In addition to academics, Regis boys compete in baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis, track and cross country, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.

Further details were scant, however, as the event appears to have occurred while classes were in session, and outside passersby were few and / or not the sort of people to post images of the scene to social media.

But because Regis has an interior courtyard that cannot be seen from either East 84th Street or East 85th Street, which the institution also faces, another possibility is that the student’s fatal leap ended there, within the school grounds, where no one outside would see it.

By the time the press did arrive, including the New York Post and, later that day, Straus News, there were no outside signs that something terrible had occurred here. Except maybe one.

While kids across the street at the Loyola School—whose official address is 980 Park Ave. but which also has an entrance / exit on East 84th Street—were happily leaving the historic institution, Regis was closed up tight. There were no students leaving or entering, though a few adults could be seen in offices through the first-floor windows.

A statement from Joe DeLessio, the director of communications of Regis and himself a Regis alum, was given to local news site Patch that afternoon:

”It is with heavy hearts that we write that one of our students tragically lost his life earlier today. We are deeply saddened by his loss, and we pray that the Lord welcomes him into eternal rest and comforts his family.”

DeLessio further said counselers and ministers would be available throughout the process of grieving.

”We recognize their profound loss, and we are doing everything we can to support them during this unimaginable tragedy,” DeLessio said.

The New York Post suggested that the student was facing a disciplinary meeting that morning related to a classroom incident, but these details remain unconfirmed.

The most concrete, if anonymous, details to emerge have come from the Upper East Side sub-Reddit.

A user named No-Elephant posted:

“I go to the school, I knew him. I’m not saying his name but he was a great guy. I cracked up whenever I talked to him, even if we weren’t close. He was reserved, witty, and was always funny without ever trying too hard. He always looked like he had something on his mind. It’s saddening that he was in such a twisted state of mind that he willed himself to walk all the way up to the fifth floor just to end the life of a son, brother, and most importantly, his own life. Please don’t speculate. Do not assume his reasoning for his actions. Keep him in your prayers.”

“This was my best friend since kindergarten.,” wote user w0bzi. “I grew up with him every step of the way. We went to different high schools but always still kept in touch. We were in fact just talking a couple days ago about meeting up again and catching up. Never in a million years would I have ever thought this. I noticed no signs of him having these thoughts or wanting to do anything in such way that would hurt himself.

“He was quiet and reserved like people have stated but was brilliant and the most amazing person ever when you got to know him. I am absolutely mortified to my soul of this news. I am trying to find any sort of information about the event from new articles, students, officials, anybody. So please if you know anything about the event or more so what he did or said for him to get called to the office for discipline please PLEASE let me know. I love him so deeply and I want to find the answer to why this all happened, and further prevent anyone going through this. Forever Rest IronCladKing.”

Although not confirmed by Regis or the family, online tributes by Regis students, Facebook postings, and funeral details strongly suggest that the victim was 16-year-old Henry Varenne of the Bronx.

A mass of Christian burial is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. in St. Clare of Assisi Church in the Bronx.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.