A piece of roof material struck and killed Rogério Renato Mateucci, a Brazilian university rector, while he was on a walking tour of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Friday, October 16.
Heavy winds dislodged the piece of debris that struck the educator, who died instantly, a spokesperson with the Scottsdale Police Department told Hyperallergic. His death is currently under investigation as a weather-related incident, the spokesperson added.
Mateucci had been the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil since 2022, and earned multiple degrees in higher education leadership as a member of the Marist Catholic order.
"The Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who died," the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which owns and operates the property, said in a statement shared to Instagram. "No further details will be shared out of respect for privacy and to allow officials to complete their work. The property is closed to the public until further notice."