BY ALEXA TIRONI, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Saturday, Jan. 31, Mason students and faculty received an email from Chief Carl Rowan of the Mason Police Department regarding the death of a Mason student. 

The incident occurred in a dorm in Commonwealth. Mason PD and EMS received a call just before 6 p.m. 

When Emergency services arrived on the scene the student was unresponsive and pronounced dead. The student was 19 years old. 

Mason PD will not release the name of the student or the specifics of this incident at this time in order to respect the privacy of the friends and family affected by this student’s passing. 

Deputy Chief of Mason PD Emily Ross detailed the next steps in this investigation, saying, “With any death investigation that continues with the medical examiner, they are the ones who determine the cause and manner of death.” 

Ross continued, “With any unattended death investigation they are lengthy, detailed and thorough. It involves multiple aspects to include assistance from our other law enforcement partners, who routinely provide us additional specific resources for these kinds of investigations.” 

Ross spoke on the police department’s appreciation for the patience and respect from the Mason community in regards to this tragedy. 

The emailed ended, “Counseling services have been made available to the immediate family and students closely impacted by this event. Resources are available for any who wish to speak with a counselor. For more information, please contact (703) 993-2380, or visit caps.gmu.edu.”