The Hopkins community is mourning the death of Abigail Bastien, a rising sophomore. The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) found her body early in the morning on July 13th and are currently conducting an investigation.
During a press conference on Monday, BPD spokesperson T.J. Smith announced that the police believe Bastien’s death was an accident.
“Nothing in this case points towards homicide,” Smith said. “Our early indications based on all the evidence that we have — which includes video evidence and statements from people — is that this is an accidental death where it appears she fell off of the building from quite a distance and died as a result of that.”
Smith also said that they are still waiting on the medical examiner’s toxicology report, which could take up to eight weeks to complete.
Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger and Senior Associate Dean of Student Life Toni Blackwell sent a school-wide email later in the day on July 13. They informed members of the Hopkins community of the tragedy and offered opportunities for students to support one another.
Shollenberger and Blackwell also wrote that there are plans for a memorial service.
“On behalf of the entire Johns Hopkins community, we offer our deepest sympathies to Abby’s family and friends. We will provide information on memorial arrangements when it becomes available,” they wrote. “Together, we mourn the loss of such a promising member of our community.”
Abigail Bastien was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and was a sprinter on the track team. Shollenberger and Blackwell wrote that she positively influenced her peers every day.
“Her coaches say that Abby always had a smile on her face, loved being a student-athlete at Johns Hopkins, and deeply cared for the members of her team,” they wrote.
Bastien’s body was discovered just north of Homewood campus, on the 3700 block of N. Charles Street, between Guilford Manor and The Academy on Charles apartment building, formerly known as the Varsity.
Letters or emails of condolence to the Bastien family may be sent to the Office of the Dean of Student Life in the Mattin Center, Suite 210, addressed to “The Family of Abby Bastien.”
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.
Students may contact the Counseling Center at 410-516-8278 for support. If calling outside of normal business hours, you can reach the counselor on call through Security at 410-516-7777.
Morgan Ome and Alyssa Wooden contributed to reporting.
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