Hundreds gather to mourn UMD student’s death

Reported with Kiersten Hacker.

First published Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell.

Content warning: This article mentions death and loss. Resources for the University of Maryland community are listed at the end of this article.

Flowers. Candles. Hugs. Singing. Offerings. A comfort dog.

All these were on display as about 200 University of Maryland faculty, staff and students gathered Tuesday to mourn a student’s death on campus at an impromptu vigil around the Testudo statue in front of McKeldin Library. 

The University of Maryland Police Department received a call at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday about an incident at the stadium and arrived on scene two minutes later, Chief David Mitchell said at the vigil. Several students witnessed a young male student’s death next to the football stadium, he said, adding that it would have been futile to administer life-saving care.

“I am deeply invested, like you, in our campus community and when we lose one of our own, it’s very painful, like you, I mourn,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell did not specify how the student died but ruled out foul play. The police department is investigating the death with the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which sends a separate detective to the scene. Only the state medical examiner, Mitchell said, will state the cause of death. 

Roughly an hour after UMPD arrived on scene, at 2:18 p.m., the university sent out an alert stating that roads near the SECU Stadium were closed “due to police activity.” At 4:23 p.m., police cleared the area and re-opened the roads, broadcasting a second alert. 

Without more details, rumors spread across anonymous social media app YikYak’s UMD channel. Soon, though, positive messages with support filled the platform. Some posts called for a vigil to be held at 7 p.m. 

Mitchell spoke at the vigil along with Vice President of Student Affairs Patty Perillo. Perillo expressed her support for the community and urged students not to draw any conclusions about the cause of death while waiting for more campus information.

“The fact that we lost one of our very young students, it’s just overwhelming and it’s just sometimes too much to bear,” Perillo said, her voice shaking. “And when it’s one of your peers, it’s even harder. But I stand here to tell you that you are not alone. You are cared for.”

The university sent counselors to the Yahentamitsi Dining Hall, close to the stadium, and the Counseling Center canceled all non-emergency appointments so it could offer immediate support to students who walked in without an appointment, Perillo said. The university will also continue to offer resources to the students who lived in the same residence hall as the student who died, Perillo said.

Perillo sent an email at 8:46 p.m. to inform the campus of the death since the student’s family had been notified, mentioning the vigil. She included links to resources for students, faculty and staff, and ended with, “Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.”

Soon after news of the death spread, campus organizations and the Student Government Association posted mental health resources for students on Instagram. Active Minds at Maryland, a student group promoting mental health awareness and education, passed out fliers at the vigil with text line numbers and other outlets, encouraging students to reach out for help when needed.

Other students shared their own experiences with mental health struggles, grief and loss. Some emphasized the importance of treating others with empathy and kindness or checking in on your friends even if they don’t seem to be suffering.

“Sometimes some people feel like a burden or they feel guilty about how they feel,” sophomore psychology major Jalyn Johns told Stories Beneath the Shell. “But I don’t feel that way, I’m just willing to listen because I feel like everyone deserves to be here, everybody has a purpose.”

Erika Holdren, the president of the Residence Hall Association, said she came to the vigil as a liaison to voice the needs of students to the university’s administration and advocate for mental health resources. She received multiple recommendations to bring to the administration from attendees of the vigil.

“I think the overwhelming message that we’ve all seen is that you are loved and we want you to be here,” Holdren, a junior government and politics major, said. “And to always check in on everybody to make sure that you treat everyone with empathy because you never know what someone’s going through.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with the news of the death and needs support during this time, please see the following resources:

UMD Help Center: call (301) 314-HELP (4357)

UMD Counseling Center: (301) 314-7651

Maryland Crisis Hotline: 1-800-422-0009

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988