Two students at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville were discovered dead in a campus dormitory Monday evening, university officials have confirmed.
The UW-Platteville Chancellor’s Office identified the deceased as 22-year-old Kelsie Martin and 22-year-old Hallie Helms.
Law enforcement responded to a 911 call received around 4 p.m. regarding a “situation” at Wilgus Hall, a campus residence building. While officials have not disclosed specific details about what occurred, they have characterized it as an “isolated incident.”
UW-Platteville Police Chief Joe Hallman stated that officers quickly determined there was no active or ongoing threat to the campus community. However, as a precautionary measure, students were instructed to shelter in place for approximately one hour.
By 6 p.m. Monday, red tape had been placed around the residence hall, with multiple law enforcement vehicles surrounding the building. Later that night, a bouquet of flowers was placed outside the Wilgus Hall sign.
Sophomore Eric Sperduto, who resides on the second floor of Wilgus Hall, reported seeing two female students running from the building shortly after 4 p.m., followed by the arrival of law enforcement personnel.
“It’s just really sad and just sad to think about the families that are affected by this and people that were their friends and stuff that I guess that are students just like me that are changed now,” Sperduto said.
Other students expressed shock and confusion about the situation, gathering outside Wilgus Hall to support one another while awaiting more information.
“I was kind of terrified for a second honestly,” said sophomore Kirra Kamp. “It’s kind of something you hear happens, but nothing that you actually think is gonna happen to you in your school until it happens. It’s insane to see stuff like this happen.”
Residents of Wilgus Hall were informed they could not return to their building Monday night, though they were permitted to retrieve essential items before relocating. Alternative dormitory accommodation was made available for displaced students.
During a press conference, UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich emphasized that the university’s primary focus remains the wellbeing of its student body.
“We are focused on you,” Evetovich stated. “We understand that you have a lot of questions. And we will answer what we can, but we want to focus on our students that are impacted and support them in ways that only people on campus can do.”
According to the university calendar, Monday marked the beginning of final examinations, with commencement having taken place on Saturday. In response to the tragedy, all final exams and scheduled assessments have been canceled for the remainder of the week.
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