A Westchester County eighth-grader described as a “gentle soul” died Sunday after accidentally falling from the roof of a five-story parking garage in Harrison, New York.
Mark Anthony Giordano, 13, was riding bikes with a group of friends on top of the garage near the Metro-North station on Halstead Avenue when he plunged over the side of the building, sources told The Post.
Cops are investigating but no foul play is expected, a source added.
Giordano, a student-athlete at Harrison High School, was an All-League wrestler and football player whose promise was “limitless,” according to a GoFundMe set up to benefit his grieving family.
“He will be missed for the gentle soul and dedicated friend he was to all who he came in contact with in just a short time here,” Frank Barchella, the fundraiser’s organizer, wrote on the page.
“Our goal is to assist his family to put Mark to rest and whatever expenses they will encounter in their time of need.”
The community immediately put its support behind the family, with the fundraiser gathering more than $48,000 of its $75,000 target as of Monday morning.
Louis N. Wool, the superintendent of the Harrison Central School District, posted a statement on the district website sympathizing with the family and letting students, teachers and parents know there will be support for those who need it.
“Nothing is more difficult to fathom nor more tragic to experience than the loss of a child,” Wool wrote. “Mark was beloved by his teachers, coaches, and friends.
“We have mobilized support for our middle and high school students, faculty, and staff and extend that support to anyone in our schools who may have known this resilient and remarkable young man,” he continued.
“In moments of extraordinary tragedy, I am always comforted by the generosity and love our community shows to those most in need and one another.”
The district wrestling team also posted a heartbreaking tribute to Giordano on its Facebook page.
”We wake up this morning completely devastated by the news of Mark Anthony Giordano passing away,” the team wrote about the 220-pound wrestler. “Mark was an amazing young man who accomplished so much in so little time.
“His potential on the mats as well as the Football Field was unlimited,” the post continued. “But most important he was always respectful, polite and a wonderful loving teammate, brother and son.
“Please keep his mother Michelle and sister Liza in your prayers and help them out if you can.”
