An 18-year-old urban explorer is in critical condition after falling approximately 20 stories from an abandoned grain elevator in Minneapolis on Monday night. The individual, identified as Ash Ranallo, was exploring the disused Checkerboard Grain Elevator with others when the incident occurred.
Ranallo landed on a beam outside the structure, according to the Minneapolis Police Department. The Minneapolis Fire Department utilized a ladder truck to reach Ranallo, providing medical care at the scene before transporting the individual to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Sgt. Garrett Parten of the Minneapolis Police Department stated that Ranallo's heart stopped for approximately 20 minutes at the hospital, and the teenager received multiple blood transfusions and underwent significant medical procedures.
Ranallo's mother, Nicole Emery, provided updates stating that her child received six to eight units of blood during an initial procedure, which left a large incision from the chest to the pelvis. Further blood transfusions were administered, and Ranallo is currently on life support. Emery has shared that Ranallo is no longer sedated, pain medication has been reduced, but the individual has not yet responded to pain or commands. Surgeries have included pins and external braces for the legs, as well as abdominal surgery to address pooled blood. A feeding tube has been placed, and Ranallo also sustained a broken collarbone and shoulder dislocation.
Social media profiles indicate Ranallo frequently engages in urban exploration of abandoned buildings. One video posted on July 6 showed Ranallo on top of a tall building without safety equipment. Residents near the abandoned grain elevator have reported numerous calls to police over the years regarding individuals exploring the site, expressing concerns that an accident was inevitable.
Last year, the police department's first and second precincts recorded approximately 80 incidents involving urban exploration. Parten described the activity as illegal and dangerous, noting that individuals involved in similar incidents have faced charges ranging from misdemeanor trespassing to felony property damage. The investigation into this specific incident is ongoing, and it remains unclear if Ranallo will face charges.