The niece of Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, was killed in the crowd-surge incident in Seoul, South Korea, over the weekend, which resulted in more than 150 deaths, according to the lawmaker's office.
"Monica and I, and our entire family, are grieving the loss of our niece Anne Marie Gieske," Wenstrup said in a statement. "She was a gift from God to our family. We loved her so much."
According to Yahoo News, police officials are still reviewing surveillance "from about 50 cameras" in the area and have interviewed more than 40 event witnesses.
An estimated tally of 100,000-plus people were gathered in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood, a popular nightlife district, for a Halloween event that soon became "the largest Halloween celebration for the country since the pandemic began," according to Yahoo.
Among the 153 deaths, 26 people hailed from countries outside South Korea — including two Americans.
The other American casualty was Steven Blesi, 20, a student at Kennesaw State University (suburban Atlanta), who was in South Korea to study aboard.
Another 133 people were injured as of Sunday evening, according to Yahoo.
The Associated Press reported that nearly two-thirds of the surge deaths were women, with the large majority being in their 20s and 30s.
Gieske was a nursing major at the University of Kentucky and had also been studying in South Korea for a semester abroad.
"There aren't adequate or appropriate words to describe the pain of a beautiful life cut short," University of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto said in a statement. "It isn't fair, nor is it comprehensible. It is loss and it hurts in ways that are impossible to articulate."
Gieske's parents, Dan and Madonna Gieske, have asked for privacy as they mourn the loss of Anne Marie.
"We are completely devastated and heartbroken over the loss of Anne Marie," the parents said in a statement accompanying Wenstrup's announcement. "She was a bright light loved by all."
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol has already declared a national mourning period through Sunday in honor of the 153 people who died in the surge.
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