Grief and Investigation: Examining Recent Student Deaths and Community Responses
The sudden deaths of young people are always tragic events that deeply affect families, friends, and the wider community. Recent incidents involving students, including those connected to Hinsdale Central High School and New York University (NYU), highlight the profound grief and the questions that arise in the wake of such losses. This article examines these incidents, the ongoing investigations, and the responses from educational institutions and the community.
Recent Deaths and Initial Investigations
In February, the NYU community was shaken by the deaths of two students, Doreah Salti and Jacqueline Beauzile, within two days of each other. On February 8, 19-year-old Beauzile was found unresponsive in her suite at Lipton Hall, an NYU residence building typically housing first-year students. Salti, 18, died shortly after. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are still under investigation.
According to a NY Post article, a person close to Salti’s family disputed speculation that she died by suicide, pointing to the pending investigation by the city’s medical examiner, and said they believed her death was an accident. The source indicated that she fell to the ground from the fifth floor of an art building at NYU’s downtown campus.
Earlier, in October 2013, Abigail Bott, an 18-year-old Indiana University-Bloomington student and a graduate of Hinsdale Central High School, was found dead in her dorm room. Her family stated that she "passed away in her sleep" on Sunday, October 6, 2013. According to the Monroe County coroner’s office, there was no evidence of trauma in her death, and foul play was ruled out.
More recently, another student from Hinsdale Central High School passed away on a Tuesday afternoon. School officials sent a letter to families that Tuesday evening, saying a current student passed away, but they did not release any details about how it happened.
Read also: Collegiate Journeys: From Hinsdale
Police are actively investigating the causes of these deaths. Toxicology results from Bott's autopsy were pending and were expected to be released in four to six weeks.
Community Grief and Support
The deaths of Doreah Salti and Jacqueline Beauzile have deeply impacted both the NYU and Hinsdale communities. The wake and funeral for 18-year-old Doreah Salti took place on Feb. 17 at the Saint George Orthodox Church located in Cicero, Illinois. The Church announced the family’s request to consider donating in her memory to the Hinsdale Central High School Art Department in lieu of flowers. A wake for Jacqueline Beauzile has been set for Friday, Feb. at the Donohue Cecere Funeral Home, 290 Post Ave., Westbury, NY. It is slated to be followed by a mass of Christian burial on Feb. at St. Martha’s Church 546 Greengrove Ave., Uniondale, NY.
The letter from Hinsdale Central High School encourages parents to speak with their children, noting that each one responds to and processes grief differently. Counseling will be available through the Student Service Department.
Concerns Regarding University Communication and Mental Health Resources
NYU students continue to convey their disappointment in the lack of communication to the students about the incidents, as well as the overall secrecy surrounding suicide numbers at NYU. Students have recognized NYU’s lack of response to sudden deaths as a pattern with many tweets on this along with various articles on this topic being published on Washington Square News, the daily student publication for NYU campuses.
An article from 2018 on Washington Square News cited the shock of an NYU student, Emilio Torres, at discovering the news of a fellow student’s death by suicide through an NYU meme page on Instagram. “I was shocked, and didn’t believe it at first,” Torres said to WSN. “It was strange to me that the school hadn’t, and still hasn’t, said anything about it. When I told my roommate, he didn’t believe me at first for the same reason.”
Read also: Explore Pharmacy Studies at UCF
Many have even pointed to the lack of efficiency of the Wellness services in discussions related to recent sudden deaths on the Reddit page of NYU. A parent mentioned, “My child was severely depressed last year and called NYU hotline. (They) Told him to contact his insurance company to find a doctor. Now I understand resources are constrained, but I feel NYU needs to do better.”
NYU provides a 24/7 hotline at 212-443-9999 and an app linked to mental health resources at NYU, featuring a function to chat with Wellness Exchange professionals.
The Role of Mental Health Awareness
In an October 2022 Patch article reporting from Salti’s hometown, she was highlighted for her participation in a fundraiser organized by We Care Hinsdale, a non-profit dedicated to spreading mental health awareness among teenagers in response to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. This highlights the importance of proactive mental health support and awareness initiatives within schools and communities.
Traffic Incident and Ongoing Investigation in La Grange
In a separate incident, police are investigating a crash at the intersection of 47th Street and Willow Springs Road on the La Grange-Western Springs border. Police reported that a white SUV, not belonging to the Lanes, was seen traveling north on Willow Springs toward the intersection at a high rate of speed, and that the vehicle had been involved moments earlier in two crashes on Willow Springs south of 47th Street.
“As police units approached the area, the crash at Willow Springs Road and 47th Street occurred,” police stated at the time. “The vehicle was not involved in a police pursuit at any point during this time.” The department also suggested the possibility that a medical event played a role in the incident.
Read also: Navigating Student Central
La Grange Chief of Police Tim Griffin said it remains an open case. “The police department continues to actively investigate this incident in collaboration with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. At this time, I do not have a date that the investigation will be completed,” Griffin replied.
tags: #hinsdale #central #student #death #investigation
