Northern Kentucky student among those killed in Halloween protests in South Korea

A Northern Kentucky woman who was a nursing student at the University of Kentucky was among the dead after a huge Halloween party crowd in South Korea.

University President Eli Capiloto first Announced on Sunday That student, Anne Jesik, was among more than 150 people killed in the crowd at a traditional Halloween gathering in Seoul, South Korea.

Jeske was a junior nursing student from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, and was studying in South Korea this semester with an educational program abroad.

Beechwood High School Principal Justin Kaiser said she graduated in 2021 from Beechwood High School where she was a prominent member of the marching band.

Gieske also volunteered over the summer with the Marching Tigers, working closely with current drummers and clarinets. According to her social media, Gieske just celebrated her 20th birthday two days ago.

“We are utterly devastated and deeply saddened by the loss of Anne-Marie. She was a shining light loved by all. We ask for your prayers as well as respect for our privacy. Anne’s last gift to us was dying in a state of holy grace. We know we will meet her one day in the kingdom of God,” her father, Dan, said in a statement. .

Fort Mitchell Mayor Judd Heyman and city council issued a statement following the news.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gieske and Klein families who have very deep roots in our Fort Mitchell community.”

Most of the dead and injured were teenagers and people in their twenties, according to Choi Seong-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Department in Seoul. The death toll may rise further because 19 of the injured are in critical condition.

An estimated 100,000 people have gathered in Itaewon for the country’s largest outdoor Halloween celebration since the pandemic began and strict rules have been imposed on gatherings. The South Korean government has relaxed COVID-19 restrictions in recent months and this was the first big opportunity for many young people to go out and celebrate. Halloween has become a major attraction for South Korean youth over the years.

“We have two other students and a faculty member there this semester as well. They have been contacted and they are fine,” Capiloto said in a statement.

Capilouto said the school has been in touch with us and we have been in contact with Gieske to provide support.

“We will be there for those in our community who knew and loved Anne. We also have approximately 80 South Korean students in the UK – members of our community – who will need our support,” Capiloto said in a statement.

The rush of crowds is the country’s worst disaster in years.