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January 12, 2016

Penn student's death ruled suicide; 10th in three years at university

Mental Health Suicide
01132016_Penn_Engineering_School_GM Google/StreetView

The School of Engineering on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

University of Pennsylvania engineering graduate student Stephen Kyle Wilshusen's Dec. 31 death has been ruled a suicide, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

According to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Wilshusen is the 10th Penn student to commit suicide over the past three years. 

Universities and state lawmakers across the nation have been grappling with increased student suicide rates and working toward prevention. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death between the ages of 10 and 24.

Earlier this year, New Jersey lawmakers drafted two bills inspired by Penn student and New Jersey native Madison Holleran, who committed suicide in 2014 when she jumped from atop a Philadelphia parking garage to her death. 

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Madison Holleran, 19, jumped from atop a Philadelphia parking garage to her death. She left behind a note and gifts for members of her family.

Holleran left behind a note and gifts for family members, who shared the information with the public in an attempt to bring awareness to mental illness and suicide.

Read the full Daily Pennsylvanian article here.


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