Senior Drew Everson died Saturday night after sustaining severe head and body trauma from an accidental fall.
Everson, a 21-year-old from Tampa, Fla., suffered two collapsed lungs and severe head injuries after falling down a set of stairs behind the East Campus Union in an event that is believed to have occurred early Friday morning.
A Marketplace employee found Everson unconscious at the bottom of the outdoor stairwell at around 11:30 a.m. Friday Oct. 22, after which Everson was transported to the Duke University Emergency Department.
No criminal activity is suspected, administrators said. Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department referred all comment to Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations.
Everson was in an induced coma until he died around 8 p.m. Saturday Oct. 23, according to administrators.
“There is no other way to describe it but an absolute tragedy,” said Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek. “It’s such an extreme level of sadness that I cannot even describe it. To watch his friends learn about the situation—it’s just devastating.”
At the time of his death, Everson was surrounded by family members, including his parents, his aunt and his brother A.J Everson, who graduated from Duke in 2009. Family members started arriving Friday night to be with Everson.
In a statement released Sunday, the University announced that an ongoing DUPD investigation determined that Everson’s injuries resulted from an “accidental fall,” adding that no details would be available until the end of the inquiry.
Wasiolek said Everson was “out with friends” the night of the accident. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta added that Everson, a political science major, had left his group of friends to head home alone to his Watts Street apartment off East Campus when the incident occurred.
The outdoor stairwell where Everson was discovered is a “small” staircase with about six to eight stairs, Moneta said. He added that there are some details of the event that “we will never know.”
Wasiolek deferred comment to Dailey regarding the specifics of Everson’s state when he was found. Dailey then directed comment to Schoenfeld, who did not respond to the second request for comment late Sunday night.
Moneta notified the student body of Everson’s injuries at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. The e-mail instructed students to contact Duke Police with pertinent information and Counseling and Psychological Services for assistance.
Schoenfeld wrote in an e-mail that Moneta’s message was prompted because “a number of students and parents were contacting the University having heard inaccurate and incorrect information about the incident.”
Administrators also met with students throughout the weekend.
About 60 to 75 students met with University officials, including Moneta, Wasiolek, Associate Dean of Students Todd Adams and representatives from both CAPS and Residence Life and Housing Services. The meeting was held at Devil’s Den 4 p.m. Saturday and aimed to give an update on Everson’s medical status.
“I don’t think it was a long time after that when it became much clearer that this was not going to be heading in the direction that [the medical staff] had hoped,” Wasiolek added.
About 100 students gathered again to meet with administrators at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, when Everson’s death was announced. Moneta sent another e-mail shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday announcing the death to the entire student body.
At Duke, Everson was a Chronicle columnist in 2008-2009 and a member of the debate team and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Pi Kappa Phi President Jordan Stone, a junior, wrote in an e-mail that Duke’s response to the death has been strong.
“The administration has been nothing short of amazing in communicating with those close to Drew and in providing support to all those affected by this numbing tragedy,” he wrote.
President Richard Brodhead and Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, visited the Everson family at the hospital Sunday.
The University will host a memorial service in the Chapel at noon Wednesday Oct. 27, followed by a reception in the Scharf Commons. The memorial will be open to the student body.
Wasiolek added that Everson’s family may host a private memorial in their hometown of Tampa, Fla., but said Wednesday’s service will be the primary event to commemorate Everson.
“The family very much wanted to have the service at the Duke Chapel,” she said.
Editor’s note: The Chronicle will accept letters to the editor remembering Drew until 8 p.m. Tuesday for Wednesday’s paper. Following Wednesday’s service, The Chronicle will write an obituary honoring Drew’s memory. Our thoughts are with Drew’s family and friends.
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