A burned body found behind the Krannert Center, the performing arts center at the University of Illinois, has been identified as a 21-year-old university student.
According to the Champaign County Coroner, the incident appears to be a suicide.
Local authorities believe the man doused himself in gasoline and set himself on fire around 2:00 A.M. on Wednesday, April 19, with a can of gas that was found near his body.
“It’s a hard thing when you’re on campus and, well, just in life in general. You have to deal with stressors, just things that drag you down, things that drag you back. Finals, other stuff like that. I know how that feels,” University of Illinois theater student Alex Gill told Fox.
The local coroner’s office has alerted who is believed to be the victim’s family, but are awaiting dental records to officially confirm his identity before releasing his name.
Police found the student’s body when they responded to reports of a fire at 2:27 A.M. on April 19. When responding officers arrived, they found the deceased student with severe burns and a gas can beside the body.
University of Illinois police say they believe this was an isolated event. Furthermore, the school is offering counseling to anyone in the community who has been affected by this incident.
This article will be updated when more information, including the name of the deceased, becomes available.
