STARKVILLE — A male Mississippi State University student was found dead Sunday afternoon in a campus parking lot.
According to a press release issued Monday by MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter, MSU police officers and other university officials responded to a call around 1 p.m. reporting an unresponsive person in a parked vehicle on campus.
The 19-year-old student was a sophomore building construction science major from Madison. He was also a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
Oktibbeha County Coroner Michal Hunt pronounced the student dead at the scene and told The Dispatch he had committed suicide. No foul play is suspected at this time, he said.
In the release, Salter said the incident is still under investigation, and that MSU President Mark Keenum went before the victim’s fraternity brothers at Phi Kappa Tau Sunday to express condolences.
Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said the university would provide counseling services for any other students or staff impacted by the incident.
“Our deepest sympathies extend to the family and friends of the victim,” she said.
Editor’s Note: The Dispatch has a policy not to report suicides unless the incident involves a public figure or if the act is committed in public.
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