A 20-year-old student from Cambridge was found dead in her Hagerstown Hall dorm room about 4 p.m. Sunday, University Police said.
Sophomore Jessica Cole was alone when she died and police do not believe her death is related to an illness or a communicable disease. Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy, and it is unknown when the results will be available, according to University Police spokesman Paul Dillon.
Cole’s roommate discovered her body and called 911. The Prince George’s County Fire Department then contacted University Police.
Residents of Hagerstown Hall received an e-mail Sunday night informing them of Cole’s death and encouraging them to seek support in light of the tragedy. A meeting was held in the dorm last night for residents to attend.
“I think any death of someone that young is just a tragedy, and we think it’s a terrible loss,” Vice President of Student Affairs Linda Clement said.
“As a university, we’re trying to help as much as we can, helping the friends and family, making staff available, making psychologists available, just any way we can provide help for students,” Clement added.
The university counseling center is available to assist students in need. A student-operated help line is also available.
Sophomore engineering major Zeb Shereef and sophomore biology major Dan Rossiter knew Cole through other friends and said the general mood around the dorm is somber and sad.
“There’s a lot of grief and sadness [in the hall],” Shereef said. “Most of our friends on our floor knew her, and well, it’s terrible. I’m pretty shocked, actually.”
Both remember Cole as always friendly and outgoing toward others.
“She was a really nice kid,” Rossiter said. “She seemed really happy.”
Freshman classics major Grady Chaltain didn’t know Cole personally but said he was taken aback to hear about a death in the dorms.
“On campus, you’re sort of in a bubble,” Chaltain said. “When something from the real world hits, it’s kind of a shocker.
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