An Auburn University student died in an on-campus residence hall Wednesday night, according to Gene Manning, Lee County chief deputy coroner.
Authorities with the Lee County coroner’s office found Hailey Johnson, 20, unresponsive in her dorm room in Oak Residence Hall in the Village Wednesday night and pronounced her dead at the scene, Manning said.
Hayley Harris, director of strategic communications and marketing in Student Affairs, said Johnson died of apparent natural causes.
"We are completely devastated by this horrible news,” said Bobby Woodard, senior vice president for Student Affairs. “We are heartbroken for Hailey’s family, friends and our entire campus community. ”
Johnson was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy late Wednesday night. As of publication, the exact time and cause of Johnson’s death have not been released by the department of forensic sciences or coroner's office.
The Lee County Coroner’s Office, Auburn Police Department and Department of Forensic Sciences are investigating Johnson’s death, Manning said.
Auburn University President Jay Gogue released a statement to The Plainsman regarding Johnson's death Thursday morning.
“I was very saddened to learn of Hailey’s passing,” Gogue said. “To lose someone at such a young age is particularly tragic. We mourn her death and pray for her family and friends.”
Johnson was from Greenwood Village, Colorado. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was a sophomore studying animal science with a concentration in equine science.
“The Epsilon Eta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is grieving over the loss of our dear sister and friend," said Eleanor Clements, president of Auburn's Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter. "We will always remember Hailey for the way she cared for others and her ability to make any situation brighter. The chapter will be having a memorial service for our members on Sunday.”
Early Thursday afternoon, flowers had been placed outside the front door of Kappa Kappa Gamma's chapter room in the Village by another sorority on campus.
Requests for comment to the sorority's national headquarters have not been returned. Auburn University Housing declined to comment for this article.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
