A 21-year-old woman was found dead in a dorm room at Columbia University this morning. Police say they responded to a call at the East Campus Residence Hall around 11:48 a.m. and found the woman "unconscious and unresponsive face up on the floor." EMS pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
The victim's name is being withheld pending family notification, and the Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. East Campus is located on Morningside Drive, by West 118th Street. (UPDATE, April 1: The woman has been identified as Jessica Fingers, who was Class of 2013 until she went on leave last year.)
[UPDATE] An NYPD spokesman confirmed that the woman was not a student at Columbia.
[UPDATE 2]: The woman was apparently a student who had been on leave from Columbia. Via Bwog, here's the letter Kevin Shollenberger, Dean of Student Affairs, sent:
Dear students,
It is with deep sadness and regret that I write to inform you of the untimely loss of one of our students who has been on leave from Columbia but visiting campus at the time of her passing.
Although the local police department has made contact with the family, unfortunately, at this time we have been unable to reach them. Out of respect for the family, we will not release the student’s name until we have done so.
When we lose a member of our community, we are all affected by the loss. During this time, I encourage you to rely on one another and University resources. You may seek support from professional staff by calling or visiting Counseling and Psychological Services (854-2878), which will be open until 11:00 p.m. tonight, both on the 8th floor of Lerner Hall and in the East Campus CPS office. CPS will maintain regular evening hours throughout the week.
Members of our Residential Programs staff are also available in all of our residence halls and may be reached by contacting the RA on-call in your building throughout the evening. For ongoing support, students may also reach out to the Office of the University Chaplain (854-1493) beginning Monday morning or to your adviser in the Center for Student Advising.
With deepest sympathy,
Dean Shollenberger
