Editor’s note: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has experienced suicidal ideation, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or reach the Student Health Center at 202-994-5300 and ask to speak to a counselor. If you have any questions about the reporting behind the story, please contact the editor at [email protected].
Student who died in Guthridge Hall identified
In a statement Thursday, Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Makhetha Watson identified the student who was found dead in Guthridge Hall Tuesday as 21-year-old Sarah Levitt from Scarsdale, New York. Levitt also went by Sami, according to GW’s directory.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide, OCME General Counsel Rod Adams said in an email Friday.
Posted: Friday, Sept. 16 at 1:14 p.m.
You can read the original post here:
Updated: Sept. 14, 2022 at 11:55 a.m.
Metropolitan Police Department officers are investigating the death of a student in Guthridge Hall after receiving a report of an unconscious student Tuesday morning.
MPD officers responded to a report of an unconscious student in Guthridge Hall at 11:36 a.m. before launching the death investigation, MPD spokespeople told The Hatchet. Interim University President Mark Wrighton and Dean of Students Colette Coleman confirmed the student’s death and offered condolences to the student’s family and friends in an email to the University community Tuesday night.
Wrighton and Coleman provided information regarding the University’s mental health resources and said Division for Student Affairs staff members are providing assistance to people “closely affected” by the student’s death. They said additional on-call counseling services are available by calling 877-841-1080.
“The loss of one of our own will be felt by many across our GW community,” Wrighton and Coleman said in the email. “At this difficult time, please come together and continue to support and take care of one another.”
A doctor pronounced the student dead at 11:53 a.m., according to a report sent by an MPD spokesperson.
Personnel with MPD and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner were seen exiting Guthridge Hall carrying what appeared to be a covered body on a stretcher at 2:17 p.m., nearly 40 minutes after OCME arrived outside the building. One of three OCME vehicles stationed along F Street transported the stretcher away from the scene.
Rod Adams, the general counsel of OCME, confirmed in a statement Wednesday that OCME officials responded to the scene of the death.
University spokesperson Tim Pierce said in a statement at about 1 p.m. that GW officials became aware of reports of police activity around Guthridge Hall and were coordinating with MPD.
“There is no immediate risk to the University community,” Pierce said at the time. “We will provide updates as they are available.”
Vito Maggiolo, a spokesperson for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said FEMS dispatched responders at 11:36 a.m. to a call reporting a “possible obvious death” on the 2100 block of F Street. Maggiolo said EMeRG was on scene when FEMS responders arrived.
An MPD officer from the department’s homicide branch was seen meeting GW Police Department Chief James Tate and another GWPD officer at 1:17 p.m. before entering the residence hall. Tate declined to comment on the case.
This story is developing and will be updated as we receive more information.
Erika Filter and Faith Wardwell contributed reporting.
This post has been updated to include the following:
This post has been updated to include interim University President Mark Wrighton and Dean of Students Colette Coleman’s Tuesday night email announcing the death of the student to the University community. This post has also been updated to include the time at which the student was pronounced dead and to include a statement confirming OCME officials responded to the scene.
