Man Dies in Fall From Vornado’s Tallest Building in Penn Plaza
The man who fell from a building at One Penn Plaza has been identified as 26-year-old Halil Sonuk, originally from southern Turkey.
| 03 Mar 2025 | 07:27
A man fell to his death mid-afternoon on Feb. 24 from a Vornado-owned tower that adjoins Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.
The victim was identified by police on Feb. 28 as 26-year-old Halil Sonuk. Although police said his last known address was Philadelphia, a heartbroken family member said he was originally from Diyarbakir, a city of 1.8 million people in southern Turkey.
Police did not release details on the tragedy other than to confirm his identity and date of death on Feb. 24 about 3 p.m. His brother Sait Sonuk called his death an “unfortunate accident.”
A GoFundMe page started by his brother has been taken down. A LinkedIn profile said he worked at a restaurant in Philadelphia, but he had not posted anything.
The 57-story building from which Halil Sonuk fell at 1 Penn Plaza is the tallest of the office, hotel, and entertainment buildings in the Penn Plaza complex. Police who were summoned to the scene of the building on West 34th Street near Eighth Avenue after a 911 call found the 26-year-old man unconscious and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.
The building houses a Lifetime gym on the ground floor and has three setbacks: at the seventh, 14th, and 55th floors. The building is one of a handful in Manhattan that have their own ZIP code.
The real estate developer Vornado had not responded to a query by presstime. It is the second tragic fall from a building in Penn Plaza in two years. On Feb. 7, 2023, a 24-year-old man leaped to his death from the 32nd floor of 2 Penn Plaza, in an apparent suicide. In that case, the victim left behind his wallet.
The medical examiner has not released a cause of death of the latest fall. Police said foul play was not suspected.