On Campus

Syracuse University student found dead in Walnut Hall

Justin Mattingly | Managing Editor

Multiple officers from the Syracuse Police Department and SU's Department of Public Safety arrived at Walnut Hall on Saturday morning.

UPDATED: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at 4:14 p.m.

A female Syracuse University student died inside Walnut Hall on Friday night, according to a statement from Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado.

The student who died, Britny Kabic, was a sophomore advertising major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, said Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, in an email. Kabic was originally from Hatboro, Pennsylvania.

“I join Chancellor Syverud and the entire University community in extending our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew her during this painful time,” Kantrowitz said. “Our thoughts are with all of those grieving this terrible loss.”

The incident is not being treated as a criminal matter, according to the statement from Maldonado.



“We will provide more information to the campus community as soon as we are able to notify the family,” Maldonado said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s family and friends.”

DPS and the Syracuse Police Department are working together to investigate the incident, according to a statement from SPD. The statement reiterated that the incident is not being treated as criminal matter and that there is no threat to public safety.

Multiple police cars — from both DPS and SPD — were parked outside of Walnut Hall, located at 809 Walnut Ave., at about 10:45 a.m. on Saturday. The police cars had the surrounding roads blocked off, temporarily detouring any vehicular or pedestrian traffic in the area.

Maldonado was among those on scene at Walnut Hall, which houses about 57 men and women at SU.

The student who died was wheeled out of Walnut Hall in a body bag and put in an ambulance around 11:42 a.m.

— Managing Editor Justin Mattingly, jmatting@syr.edu, contributed reporting to this article.





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