Skip to main content

The mysterious death of an 18-year-old student on the first day of class has cast a pall over the campus at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.

The body of a first-year student was discovered on the field outside of Victoria Hall, the university's largest residence, officials say.

Students heading out for sports practice came upon the body at 6:30 a.m. Monday, said investigating coroner Hans Westenberg.

Police have deemed the case a "tragic incident," and would not identify the student pending notification of next of kin nor elaborate on any possible cause of death.

The body will be examined by a forensic pathologist at the Ottawa General Hospital, Mr. Westenberg said. There are no qualified forensic pathologists in the Kingston area, he said, so any time there is a death that involves a police investigation, the bodies are typically sent to Ottawa.

That cause of death, said Mr. Westenberg - who saw the body earlier Monday, is really unknown at this point.

Victoria Hall is a six-storey co-ed university residence at Queen's, one of Ontario's most prestigious universities. Students who have just settled in there were disturbed by the scene that greeted them on their new campus on their first day of class.

"When I woke up, my roommate pointed out the window and we saw a yellow bag covering the body," said first-year student Catherine Wright. She described it as a "scary" sight to wake up to as class begins.

Flags were at half-mast at Queen's University Monday in memory of the student, university officials said in a statement.

"This is a shock for all of us and our hearts and thoughts are with the student's family and friends," said John Pierce, associate vice-principal and dean of student affairs.

"Counselling is being made available to all students, and we encourage anyone who wants to access support services and resources to do so. We are here to help."

With a report from Jennifer MacMillan

Interact with The Globe