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Waxhaw woman died by suicide in Chicago airport conveyor belt incident, medical examiner says

Surveillance video showed the woman entering a restricted area of the terminal hours before she was found unresponsive.

CHICAGO — Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove the person's name in light of new information.

A 57-year-old Waxhaw woman was killed when she was "entangled" in the baggage conveyor belt system at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Thursday, officials said. 

The incident took place around 2:30 a.m. near Terminal Five, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Surveillance video showed her entering an unoccupied and restricted area of the terminal, according to police. 

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She was found unresponsive about five hours later. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to NBC Chicago. 

Later Friday evening, the Associated Press shared that the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office had deemed her death was a suicide.

A death investigation is underway to determine exactly what happened. No further details were released. 

If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.

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