Cornell University: Suicide Lockdown

Desperate times bring desperate measures.  Students at Cornell University are all too aware of this, as the community endures its second presumably voluntary death within the past 24 hours – the third in less than 30 days.  As of 8:00 PM on Friday, March 12, the university is on suicide lockdown.  At this time, there are at least 4 Auxiliary Police men and women standing guard at Ithaca’s most notorious bridges.

Brad Ginsburg lost his life on February 17th.

William Sinclair lost his life on March 11th.

Matthew Zika has lost his life today.

The Sun is reporting that there has been another suicide this afternoon. According to the Sun article, witnesses saw a man jump off the suspension bridge at 3:45 pm. Witnesses also found a backpack, jacket, and wallet on the suspension bridge.  Insider will be here for you as more information comes in.  University Communications’s Tommy Bruce sent this email to Cornell students at 6:00 PM.

Update [9:30 PM]: The Sun is reporting that rescue workers have yet to recover the body of Matthew Zika ’11.

Update [1:22]: From President Skorton’s email: “It is with deep sorrow that I write to you regarding another death that has occurred in our campus community. Matthew Charles Zika, a junior in the College of Engineering, died this afternoon. While the cause of this tragedy is still under investigation by the Ithaca Police Department, I join all of you in grieving deeply this and the other losses we have experienced together so very recently.”