

A Georgia State student killed himself Thursday afternoon by jumping from the 26th floor of 25 Park Place, a skyscraper which houses Georgia State’s advising center and offices for the college of arts and sciences.

The tragic incident rattled the Downtown student body and is now being probed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“Some members of our community witnessed this terrible tragedy in front of 25 Park Place, at the heart of our campus,” said University President Mark Becker in an email to students and staff. He encouraged anyone affected by the traumatic happening to reach out to the university’s counseling offices.

No motive has been publicized, but Georgia State University Police Chief Carlton Mullis said cops will be checking out all potential leads, including possible camera footage and other evidence from the event, which took place in a deserted floor of the administrative building.

People inside the building said school officials cordoned off the entrances, keeping them inside as the scene was assessed by officers, according to student accounts and social media.

“The faculty and staff inside [the building] weren’t letting us out when it happened,” said Georgia State student Jennifer Hernandez. “When we were finally released, they told us to exit off of another floor so we couldn’t see what had happened.”

Campus police quickly arrived on scene to cover the body, but students roving around Woodruff Park had already stopped to gawk and speculate as to what transpired. School administrators and police encourage curious parties to avoid such speculation until official announcements are made.

Below are the telephone numbers of the school’s counseling services. Jahmeeliah Harker contributed reporting for this story.

Students can dial 404-413-1640 to reach the Georgia State Counseling and Testing Center.

Staff can call 404-413-3357 for help from the school’s counseling services.