University of Georgia says it cancels classes after a woman is found dead on campus

A woman was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus Thursday, the university said, forcing the cancellation of on-campus classes until Monday.

Police said they received a call Thursday at 12:07 p.m. from someone who was concerned about their friend, who had gone on a run near Intramural Fields, UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark said.

Police began a search immediately and found an unconscious person with "visible injuries" behind Lake Herrick at 12:38 p.m. Police began administering medical aid, and when emergency medical personnel arrived, the person was pronounced dead on the scene, Clark said.

The woman was a student at another university, though Clark did not say where.

"I want to stress that this is an active investigation, which limits the information that I can share at this time," he said.

Foul play is suspected in the woman's death, the university said, which is also being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Authorities have not identified a suspect, but Clark said there is no immediate threat to UGA's campus.

Still, Clark advised people to avoid the area, and UGA canceled evening classes Thursday and have canceled all Friday classes. Classes will resume Monday.

A day before the woman was found at the lake, a UGA student was found dead in the Brumby Hall dormitory on Wednesday, the university said, though it did not provide additional details.

"The past 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our University," UGA said. "Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one [of] our students in Brumby Hall last night. And as we continue to mourn that tragic loss of life, today's devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, particularly our students."

Clark said the two deaths are not connected. [Copyright 2024 NPR]