 "Photo: NICOLE KARAMICHAEL / The Daily Reveille")
A University student was found conscious but in serious condition after what police assume was a fall from the top of the Life Sciences Building on campus.
"It was either a freak accident or he was trying to harm himself," said Sgt. Blake Tabor, LSU Police Department spokesman.
Tabor said officers found the student on the concrete outside the building before 11 a.m.
Though officers found the student "conscious and still breathing," Tabor said they assume the student's injuries "are serious."
The student was taken to the hospital, and was able to communicate with EMS personnel but unable to communicate any useful information, Tabor said.
Officers are working to find the student's class schedule to determine why he would have been in the Life Sciences Building. Detectives are looking on the roof for clues to determine if the student was working there or was trying to harm himself, Tabor said.
The roof to the Life Sciences Building is usually locked and Kevin Carman, dean of the College of Basic Sciences, said he couldn't imagine a reason for a student to be up there.
"It's all kind of taking shape at this point," Carman said. "But it's all very tragic."
Tabor said officers have spoken with a few witnesses but haven't found someone who saw the student fall from the building.
Joseph Bond, biological sciences and psychology senior, said he saw the student on the ground but didn't see his face to identify him. Bond said he noticed the student wasn't wearing shoes.
"When I saw he didn't have shoes on, my firs inclination was that he jumped," Bond said. "I like to think the best, but that was sort of a red flag."
Check lsureveille.com throughout the day for more information and see tomorrow's print edition for full coverage.
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64 comments
maybe because folks are in a big hurry with the hustle and bustle of life, to take note that "something might not
be all right in a person's life". I know in my job, here at LSU, many students come to my office for one thing or
another and eventually we get to the real problem. Yes, it's going "over and beyond the call of my job" but there
are times it is needed, because "students may not have a person, they can lay the problem on" or much less
someone that will actually listen to what they have to say. So, maybe we all need to take "inventory of ourselves
and try to stop and listen once in awhile". Talking is better than texting! It's communicating!
1. My condolences go to Sarvnipun Chawla’s family, friends, the Department of Physics & Astronomy and the graduate students at LSU. Please keep Sarvnipun’s Family, Friends and Colleagues in your thoughts and prayers.
2. We have to wait tell the end and hear the full story before we start jumping our nonsense conclusions and analyze this tragic accident.
3. Why religious believes have to do anything when someone dies or kill themselves? This guy seemed that he fall accidently or might jumped for several reasons, but obviously he wasn’t a Muslim, if you saw his picture; yes he is a “foreigner” with Sikhism Faith and has nothing to do with SALAH or ISLAM, and by the way Suicide in SIN in all religions no matter what you say.
4. Would you please grew up and stop being stereotypical and hurt other people feeling and harass them. Focus on the big picture, this guy had problems, who doesn’t? And he needed help! So instead of criticize him now, it is too late any way, or maybe this is what causes this accident in the first place. Instead we should all act up and help and support other people when we see them down and hurting, a smile or a nice word usually is enough to do so.
5. I don’t know Sarvnipun Chawla personally, but I wish I did know him maybe I could’ve helped him or maybe I could’ve listened to his problem.
Decency, humility, compassion, and if it must be self-centered...Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
That said, I send thoughts and prayers for strength to all those directly impacted by this tragic loss of life: for peace to this young man ; and for compassion to all of us.
Just want to clear up a misconception I've seen here and heard from students: Mr. Chawla was Sikh, not Muslim. So he would not have been doing salah on the roof.
To a few posters below me: Please maintain a modicum of respect for the deceased. This is not a situation for levity.