AMHERST — The dead man found on the Amherst College campus Thursday has been identified as 20-year-old sophomore Christopher Collins, according to the Northwestern district attorney’s office.
The cause of death will be determined by the chief medical’s examiner’s office, though no foul play is suspected, said Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the district attorney.
Carey and the college have declined to say where Collins is from or to release any further details about him.
Collins’ body was found between Morris Pratt dormitory and the Arms Music Center early Thursday morning.
Students were informed Thursday evening through a campuswide email from Amherst College President Biddy Martin that Collins had died, according to The Amherst Student newspaper.
He is the second Amherst College student to die this month. Andrew Dorogi, a senior and member of the college’s football team, died on March 16 while on spring break in Mexcio City.
“The cumulative effect of two student deaths in so short a time will make Chris’ death, indeed, both losses, even harder on the community,” Martin wrote in the email. “It is important that we turn to one another for comfort and strength, that we avoid isolation, and that each of us look out for the people we know or encounter.”
The college issued a public statement expressing deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Collins and calling on the community to come together to offer support to each other.
“There are a variety of resources and several planned gatherings for students, faculty and staff over the next several days and weeks to help us begin the process of dealing with our shock and grief over this terrible loss,” the statement says.