A man was found dead early Monday morning near one of the most photographed spots on the University of Illinois campus, the Alma Mater statue at the corner of Green and Wright streets in Urbana. Campus police have not released his identity, and the cause of death remains under investigation.
University of Illinois Police Department officers responded to the scene at approximately 6:42 a.m., according to CBS News. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, campus police confirmed a body was found near the statue but said no threat to the campus exists and have not released details about the person's identity. The investigation is ongoing.
The Champaign County Coroner's Office was notified around 6:50 a.m., per WAND TV, and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death. The station reported that authorities are withholding the man's identity pending notification of next of kin.
Why No Campuswide Alert Went Out
Campus Alert Policy Some students and passersby may have wondered whether an emergency text or email would be issued about the discovery. Under federal Clery Act guidelines and campus policy, the university's Illini-Alert system is reserved for active or imminent safety threats, and campus police determined no ongoing danger existed, according to the Division of Public Safety at the University of Illinois.
A Landmark With Deep Campus History
The Alma Mater statue itself is one of the university's most recognizable symbols. The 10,000-pound bronze sculpture was created by alumnus Lorado Taft, a member of the class of 1879, and dedicated in June 1929, depicting a welcoming mother figure flanked by personifications of Learning and Labor, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. The area is a major pedestrian corridor and a prominent entrance to Campustown.
The discovery comes as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign enters the fall semester with record enrollment of 61,060 total students, including its largest-ever incoming freshman class of 9,332 students, according to the Illinois News Bureau.
For now, the identity of the man found near the Alma Mater remains unknown, and no cause of death has been determined. Hoodline will update this story as authorities release additional information.
