Woman killed by falling gargoyle statue

A woman in Chicago was reportedly killed when a piece of an ornamental gargoyle statue from a church fell and struck her in the head.

The Huffington Post reports that the tragic incident took place Thursday in front of the Second Presbyterian Church, located in the South Loop neighborhood. The church, built in 1874, was added to the National Historic Landmark registry in 2013.

Witnesses report that Sara Bean, 34, was walking with her boyfriend and was struck in the head by the debris falling from the church’s exterior.

The mother of two was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

According to The Huffington Post, records indicate that the church failed its building inspection multiple times since 2007, though it did pass the most recent inspection from 2013. The failed building inspection reports documented fractures and flaking stone to the church’s exterior.