Classes canceled at UGA after nursing student found dead after going for run on campus, school says (2024)

ATHENS, Ga. — An Augusta University nursing student was found dead "with visible injuries" near the University of Georgia Intramural Fields on Thursday afternoon. The university said that foul play is suspected.

UGA Police received a call just around noon from a concerned friend of an individual who had gone for a run at the Intramural Fields, which is on the UGA campus.

Officers then responded to the area at 12:38 p.m. and immediately began searching for the individual 20 minutes after they received the call.

UGA Police then found the woman dead behind Lake Herrick in the forested area on campus, which is not too far from the intramural fields.

Augusta University confirmed the news Thursday night that the woman found dead was one of their students. "The receipt of his news this afternoon was shocking to all of us," a school spokesperson said in a statement.

In an update, the Athens Clarke County Coroner's Office identified the woman as22-year-old Laken Riley.

11Alive was told that Riley was in a partnership program that allows students to participate in UGA campus life and activities.

In a Thursday night update, UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark said they do not have a suspect involved at this time.

In remarking just how rare this is, Clark said this would be the first homicide investigation that has happened on the campus of UGA in at least the last 20 years. However, the cause of death for the woman has not yet been released.

Police said there is not any immediate danger to the area, but potential danger in general as an apparent suspect is still out there.

Clark said he urges the public to avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing and, if anyone has information, to contact UGA Police.

11Alive's Cody Alcorn said that the E01 UGA parking deck, the lot to the campus' intramural fields, was closed down and blue lights were seen in the parking deck. It appeared that police officers were searching cars in the garage and the woods behind the garage as they searched for a potential suspect.

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All University of Georgia classes that begin at 5:30 and later have been canceled on Thursday, and all UGA classes have been canceled for Friday, as well. Classes will resume after the weekend on Monday, the school said in a statement.

All classes at Augusta University were also canceled on Friday at its campus in Athens. The campus in Augusta will operate normally, the school said.

"The past 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our University. Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one our students in Brumby Hall last night. And as we continue to mourn that tragic loss of life, today’s devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, particularly our students," the school said in a statement online.

You can watch the full press conference from UGA Police on the investigation below:

The UGA Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Athens-Clarke County Police Department are investigating the incident.

11Alive's SkyTracker flew over the scene, where several law enforcement patrol vehicles could be seen surrounding the area. Yellow police tape was also seen in a wooded area behind the intramural fields.

No details were released about the circ*mstances surrounding her death.

This is the second student to have been found dead on campus in the last 24 hours. UGA confirmed another student was found dead in Brumby Hall -- calling it a sudden death.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the UGA Police at 706-542-2200.

This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.

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