New Haven police: Yale grad stabs student, dies in jump from apartment

Wes Duplantier — New Haven Register Police were on scene Tuesday morning to investigate an incident at the Taft Apartments. A man reportedly stabbed an acquaintance and then jumped from a ninth-floor apartment and died. less Wes Duplantier — New Haven Register Police were on scene Tuesday morning to investigate an incident at the Taft Apartments. A man reportedly stabbed an acquaintance and then jumped from a ninth-floor ... more Photo: Journal Register Co. Photo: Journal Register Co. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close New Haven police: Yale grad stabs student, dies in jump from apartment 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN >> A man who recently graduated from Yale University died early Tuesday after he allegedly stabbed an acquaintance then jumped from a ninth-floor apartment downtown, police said.

The man, who graduated from Yale this month, landed on a third-floor terrace after jumping from a unit at the Taft Apartments, 265 College St., police Officer David Hartman said in a press release.

A statement from Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway identified the man who died as Tyler Carlisle.

The stabbing victim, identified by police as Alexander Michaud, 21, was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital. Hartman said around Michaud was in critical condition shortly before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Michaud is a member of Yale’s class of 2017, according to Holloway. Both are from Manchester, New Hampshire, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

According to Carlisle’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional networking site, he was a philosophy major and worked on Rick Santorum’s 2012 presidential campaign.

“In this difficult time, we extend our sympathies, thoughts, and prayers to the families of these two members of our community and wish Alexander a complete recovery,” Holloway said in the statement.

Hartman said police were dispatched to the apartments at 5:27 a.m. to investigate the incident. The stabbing reportedly happened inside the ninth-floor apartment.

Carlisle and Michaud were active members of the Party of the Right, the most conservative of the seven groups that make up the Yale Political Union, according to a report by the Yale Daily News.

“As a Senior Philosophy major my primary interests are political theory and defending a coherent and cohesive justification for Conservative politics,” Carlisle wrote in his LinkedIn profile.

“This has so far played out half in academia and half in the world of political campaigns. My skills have comfortably stretched between the two as I have tried to introduce a stronger philosophical conception of Conservatism in the campaigns I have worked on, as well as being able to bring practical experience into the Ivory Tower. On the practical side my skills in technology and new media have been crucial in conveying the messages and ideas I stand behind.

“When I graduate I will be exploring a number of options in the private and public sector,” he wrote.

The Rev. Carolyn H Keilig, interim senior pastor of the First Congregational Church in Manchester, issued a statement in which she called Carlisle “a friendly, caring young man, who was known for his gentle soul. He was musical, playing the harp, and involved in the bell choir. He was an active participant in youth activities, and through childhood and his teen years he played roles in many church pageants. He served as a strong role model to many younger members in the church and his sincere hello and smile greeted them whenever he was home from Yale.”

Keilig continued, “He was an Eagle Scout, and it was important to him to be true to this honor. Tyler was an excellent writer and had a bright and promising future ahead of him. The entire community of First Congregational Church is deeply saddened by the news of his tragic death and are struggling to make sense of it.”

Peter Perich, a member of the parish, said Carlisle was “a very good kid, a church-going person.” Perich said Carlisle attended Central High School in Manchester before he went to Yale.

Police were interviewing a witness, Hartman said. Officers and detectives were still on scene a few hours after the stabbing.

At least four police cars were parked along College Street, which was open to traffic, Tuesday morning.

Holloway also noted that the tragic news of the incident “comes at a time when so many students are now away from campus and unable to come together and support each other.”

“Students who are on campus or in New Haven and would like to seek assistance can contact Yale Mental Health Services counselors, who are available 24 hours a day,” he said.

The Taft Apartments building originally was the Taft Hotel, where actors would stay when appearing in Broadway-bound shows at the Shubert Theater next door.

A Yale-New Haven Hospital spokesman said Wednesday evening that the family has asked that no further reports be given out about Michaud’s condition.

Reporters Ed Stannard and Wes Duplantier contributed to this story.