Newly released public records are filling in the gaps around a fatal July 2025 fall inside the long-shuttered Southwest Detroit Hospital, where a 22-year-old man exploring the vacant building with friends went through a hole and dropped multiple floors. Family notices identify him as Brett Dagnese, and his death has become a grim touchpoint in ongoing warnings about the dangers of sneaking into abandoned sites.
Police and medical files outline the night inside
According to The Detroit News, police and medical reports released through a public-records request state that Dagnese was “urban exploring” with friends when he fell through a large hole and dropped two floors inside the abandoned hospital. The documents, the outlet reports, include witness statements and notes from the Wayne County medical examiner that go well beyond the first brief dispatches that mentioned only an unnamed man who had died at the scene.
What first responders found and early reporting
Detroit police said they were called to the 2400 block of 20th Street at around 1:30 a.m. on July 12, 2025, after a group entered the property and one man was discovered after a fall, according to ClickOnDetroit. At the time, authorities told reporters that the Wayne County medical examiner would determine the official cause of death and that the investigation remained open.
City leaders and safety advocates, including Councilmember Mary Waters, used the incident to underscore that fenced, shuttered buildings are hazardous and not late-night adventure spots, WXYZ reported.
Why the case is back in the spotlight
The long-vacant hospital is slated to be demolished to make way for a Detroit City Football Club stadium, a high-profile redevelopment that has renewed scrutiny of who is getting onto the property and how. Hoodline previously covered the initial July 2025 reports in its earlier coverage of the tragedy, and the newly released records add detail just as contractors and crews prepare the site for teardown.
With demolition approaching, city officials say barricades and “no trespassing” signs are up around the hospital grounds, but they also acknowledge that enforcement and consistent public messaging about the risks remain ongoing concerns.
Family notices put a name to the tragedy
Family notices and funeral listings identify the victim as 22-year-old Brett Dagnese and list services through a Macomb County funeral home, with obituaries remembering him as a son and friend. Legacy.com carries the family’s published notice and service details. Detroit police have not released additional information beyond what appears in the public records and earlier news reports.
