On Tuesday morning, December 26, 2023, a 56-year-old real estate broker, Thomas “Tom” Cooper, is believed to have jumped to his death from a luxury building in New York City. 

The incident occurred at a four-story building on East 67th Street, a prime location just steps from Madison Avenue’s high-end shopping district.

Renato Cera, the superintendent of the building, identified Cooper, who was a resident and a real estate broker with the Douglas Elliman company. Police reported that he left a suicide note before leaping from the top floor of 18 E. 67th St. around 7:19 am. He was found on the sidewalk and rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Cera, deeply saddened, remembered him as a nice person who often engaged in friendly conversation with him. He lived alone and reportedly did not have family visiting him. Cera last saw him about two weeks prior, recalling his content demeanor and their light-hearted exchange about building maintenance.

Cera mentioned that Cooper had undergone stomach surgery over the summer, though the specifics of the procedure were not known. Cooper had been a resident of the building for at least a year, as per Cera’s tenure as superintendent.

Cooper’s last Instagram post displayed a cheerful image of him beside a grand Christmas tree taken in the lobby of The Police Building at 240 Center St. This contrasted sharply with the tragedy that followed.

Vincent Scaldaferri, a site supervisor at a neighboring building first mistook the falling body for a sack of laundry. He described the victim’s traumatic impact on the sidewalk, noting his convulsions and severe injuries. The emotional toll of witnessing such an incident was evident in Scaldaferri’s decision to forego work for the day, citing the traumatic impact of the incident.

The building from which Cooper jumped, built in 1905, is known for its exclusive apartments, exemplified by a three-bedroom unit that rented for $9,000 a month last year.