Two students were found dead inside a vehicle at Franciscan University shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Monday, according to Steubenville Police Chief Kenneth Anderson and a statement from the university president, Rev. Dave Pivonka.
Luke Reimer, 20, of Indian Shores, Florida, and Mary Mich, 20, from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, were found dead inside a vehicle in the rear parking lot of St. Agnes Residence Hall.
“This news brings profound sorrow to our entire Franciscan University community. We grieve the loss of two young lives, and our hearts ache for their families, friends, classmates, professors, and all who knew and loved them. Please know that we are holding Luke and Mary, and all who mourn them, close in prayer, asking the Lord for comfort, mercy, and peace,” Pivonka said in a statement.
Anderson told Fox News Digital officers were dispatched to 1505 University Boulevard “to check the welfare of two subjects inside a vehicle,” and “both were confirmed deceased.”
“There were no signs of foul play and no signs of any drug use,” Anderson said.
On Tuesday, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office notified the Steubenville Police Department “that toxicology results confirmed both subjects died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning,” added Anderson.
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The student deaths were ruled accidental in nature and likely due to a problem with the vehicle’s exhaust, according to the police chief.
The university said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “While this information may bring some clarity, it does not lessen the profound grief we feel at the loss of two beloved members of our Franciscan family.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “A small leak in the exhaust system can lead to a buildup of CO inside the car… If you drive a car or SUV with a tailgate, when you open the tailgate open the vents or windows to make sure air is moving through. If only the tailgate is open, CO from the exhaust will be pulled into the car or SUV.”
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As a result of the deaths, the university canceled campus events on Monday, encouraging students who are grieving to reach out to counselors and friars who are available at residence halls and the J.C. Williams Center.
The school gathered for a “Holy Hour and Rosary” at 7 p.m. Monday, according to the statement.
“Let us remain united in faith, hope, and charity, carrying one another through this time of sorrow. May Christ, who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus and who conquered death through his Resurrection, be our strength and our peace,” said Pivonka.
