Update: Four University of Idaho students found dead near campus after reported homicides
University of Idaho classes are canceled Monday as the Moscow police continue to investigate the deaths of four students near campus Sunday.
Police responded to a call Sunday afternoon reporting an unconscious individual on King Road in Moscow, according to a police news release. When they arrived just before noon, officers found all four people dead in a “house that was converted into an apartment,” Moscow police Capt. Tyson Berrett told the Idaho Statesman Sunday.
Berrett said that the four individuals were students at the university, which the school later disclosed in a news release.
Berrett said police may release the names of the deceased students Monday, but would first need to speak with the prosecuting attorney. As of Sunday, police were still contacting family members before releasing more information to the public.
Police could not provide details on how the four students died, Berrett said, but their deaths are being investigated as homicides.
There was no suspect in custody as of Sunday evening, he said.
The University of Idaho posted an alert on social media at 3:07 p.m. Sunday that said police were investigating a homicide on King Road. The post said the suspect was not known at the time and advised students to stay away from the area and shelter in place.
At 3:46 p.m., the school put out a second alert that said police did not believe there was an active threat, and the “shelter in place” advisory had been lifted. The suspect was still unknown at that time, according to the alert. The school warned students to “remain vigilant.”
The university emailed students that all Monday classes would be canceled “out of respect for these fellow Vandals,” referencing the school’s mascot. Counseling services for those students seeking support were immediately available through the university’s student mental health center, and on Monday at the school’s student union building for drop-in counseling from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“An event of this magnitude can understandably have significant impacts on those left behind,” University of Idaho President Scott Green said in the email. “As Vandals, we must come together and lift each other up.”
The school declined Sunday to provide further information on the deaths to the Statesman. A university spokesperson said Monday morning that there were not yet any updates.
The Latah County Coroner’s Office did not immediately respond to a Statesman inquiry Monday morning.
Moscow police asked anyone with information to call the department at 208-882-2677.
“The Moscow Police Department gives our heartfelt condolences to family members, friends and the Moscow community,” the release said.
