Last updated on Feb. 20, 2026 at 10:22 a.m.
**Trigger warning: This article includes mentions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised.**
**Editor’s note: This article was updated Wednesday at 5 p.m. to include a statement from UIPD. The article also previously contained details about the situation from dispatch conversations which were later removed.**
An individual was found dead in their PAR hall room on Wednesday morning, in what was apparently a suicide, according to several dispatch recordings and multiple students who live in the residence who spoke to The Daily Illini.
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In a written statement Wednesday evening, Abbigail Reisner, UIPD’s senior communications coordinator, confirmed the news.
“I can confirm that an individual was found deceased at the Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Hall this morning,” Reisner wrote. “Out of respect for this individual and their family, we will not be releasing any further details or identifying information.”
Initially, the call was dispatched at 8:32 a.m. as a cardiac arrest at Babcock Hall — one of PAR’s residence halls — warranting an ECHO response, which signifies a critical, life-threatening emergency.
Then, at around 8:39 a.m., one of the responding officers used the police code 10-79, which is a request to notify the coroner.
“Go ahead and lock it down,” the officer said. “Start a log. I’ve got detectives and (unintelligible) coming. I’ll need a camera if somebody could bring one, please.”
Two students who live at PAR spoke to The DI and described the situation similarly, but details are sparse as of Wednesday afternoon. The sources preferred not to be named as they did not have the authority to comment publicly on the matter.
The Counseling Center offers crisis services and students can be seen urgently if they are in distress and need assistance. To make an appointment, visit the center’s site. The University also provides mental health services through McKinley Health Center, including emergency consults and emergency triage. To schedule an appointment, students can call 217-333-2700 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For crises outside of business hours, McKinley’s website states that community members should call the local Rosecrance Local Crisis Line at 815-720-4953 or dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
