The ASU Police Department on Wednesday released a recording of the 911 call made after the Monday suicide of graduate student David Solnick on the Tempe campus.
The call was made by Jason Griffiths, an associate professor who works in the College of Design South Building on the Tempe campus, where the incident took place.
Solnick, 59, shot himself in front of associate professor Mookesh Patel in Patel’s office. On the call, Griffiths said Patel told him what happened and requested he call the police.
State Press Television
By Daryl Bjoraas
“A colleague of mine told me that one of his graduate students just shot himself,” Griffiths said in the 911 call.
He can be heard over the phone scrambling to get details about the incident, including the age of the student and whether or not he was still alive. The first words he spoke to the operator were “Oh my God.”
ASU Police spokesman Cmdr. Jim Hardina said investigators believe that Solnick entered Patel’s office, the pair exchanged greetings and then Solnick shot himself without warning.
In a Wednesday night e-mail to all staff, faculty and students, President Michael Crow reminded the community about support services available at the University.
“As we work through our immediate shock and sadness, we must also remember that ASU is a community with a responsibility to look after its members,” he said. “Regardless of what stresses arise, there are numerous individuals and support services available across ASU to help.”
