Man who jumped to death in front of UCI students is identified

Officials have identified the man who jumped to his death from a building Tuesday at UC Irvine as students watched.

Maxwell Chorak, 25, of Santa Ana, died at the scene just after 4:15 p.m., according to the Orange County coroner.

Chorak fell five stories after he jumped from an outdoor stairwell connected to a social science building, UCI spokesman Tom Vasich told the Daily Pilot.

Crews from the Orange County Fire Authority and campus police responded, pronouncing Chorak dead at the scene.

“Some students saw him fall and then called,” campus spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon said.

Chorak was not a student at UCI and did not have any other affiliation with the campus, according to Lawhon.

Campus officials were unsure why Chorak was at UCI or whether he knows any students or employees there.

Counseling services were available for students who witnessed the death or were otherwise affected, Vasich said.

Jeremiah Dobruck is a Times Community News staff writer.