Police are investigating the death of a 20-year-old college student who fell to his death while trying to descend the facade of the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan.

Police say Connor Cummings of Rockaway, New Jersey and 18-year-old Dimitri Olivare were trying to take pictures of the city skyline atop the 52-story iconic building in Midtown, reports NJ.com. That's when the University of Massachusetts Amherst student lost his footing while climbing back into an interior shaft late Wednesday night.

New York Police Department Sgt. Daniel Boody said the scaffolding was wet from rain when the young man fell nine stories and landed on one of the hotel's lower rooftops around 11:15 p.m. ET, Boody said. Officials pronounced Cummings dead at the scene. They also reportedly recovered the photography equipment he was using. Meanwhile, Olivare is undergoing questioning by detectives.

The young man's aunt, however, is suspicious about the incident. She described her nephew as a photography buff who was no daredevil.

"We're trying to get answers," Kate Gentile said told WABC-TV. "They say that he went up the elevator, and then went up a stairway, and then went out on a balcony, but the cops aren't saying exactly what happened. And I know the medical examiner was up there. I mean, he's a young kid, he's a good kid. They weren't drinking or anything, they were taking a picture."

The principal of Cummings' former high school also released a statement.

"Connor was a fine student with a bright future," Morris Knolls High School Principal Ryan MacNaughton said in the statement. "Connor and his family were strong supporters of Morris Knolls and our thoughts and prayers are with them."

No charges have not been filed against Cummings' friend.

"The safety and security of our guests, patrons and employees is a top priority for us. As this incident is currently under investigation, all inquiries are best directed to local police," hotel spokeswoman Paula Dirks said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased and we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to them."