Send you prayers and vibes to the Gettysburg College Community. 19 yr old killed today

[charlie and algernon]

I graduated from there a few years ago and recieved this message today from the College President:

April 9, 2009

Dear members of the campus community,

As most of you know, a tragedy occurred earlier today involving two Gettysburg students, and our very tight-knit community is grieving for a loss that has deeply shaken us all.

Until an official statement was released by the Adams County District Attorney at a press conference this afternoon, we had very limited information that we were able to confirm and share. Details from the press conference are now available on our web site. In short, District Attorney Shawn Wagner announced that Emily Rachel Silverstein, 19, a sophomore anthropology major from Roosevelt, N.J., was found dead early this morning at 524 Carlisle Street, an off-campus College-leased residence. Kevin Schaeffer, 21, a senior history major from Oley, PA, surrendered to police at the scene without incident and was taken into custody. The District Attorney announced that the tragedy was a domestic homicide and that at no time were other individuals in any danger.

As I requested when I gathered the on-campus community together this morning, please keep these students and their families in your thoughts and prayers. In addition, I would also ask that you reach out to one another, share your thoughts and your tears, listen to and console one another. Our counseling staff is available to the campus community all day today and in the days ahead at our Health Center. If you would like to talk with a counselor, please stop by. If you have friends who are having a particularly difficult time, please suggest that they speak with a counselor as well. In addition, I would encourage you to respond to all media inquiries by directing them to our Office of Communications and Public Relations.

This loss affects us all. We are a strong, caring community, and in the days and weeks ahead, we will find solace and a source of healing in our communal strength. We will plan an appropriate campus gathering in the near future to help us begin the healing process. For now, I ask that you reach out to one another with great compassion during this difficult time.



Sincerely,





Janet Morgan Riggs ’77

President

[skygazer]

1. I hate that phrasing - "domestic homicide"

It's murder - "domestic" makes it sound so homey and sanitized.

Poor child - 19 years old is just a child. My heart goes out to her family and friends. :(

[charlie and algernon]

2. yeah, pointless legal mumbo jumbo

My brother is a 19 yr old student at another college, so yeah, this definitely hits close to home in more ways than one. Gettysburg is such a small community. You really did know everyone on campus, every face was familiar. I can't imagine the pain those students must feel right now.