A University of Washington student was found fatally stabbed late May 10 in a laundry room at Nordheim Court, an off-campus housing complex for undergraduate students, after campus police responded to a stabbing report at about 10:10 p.m. local time.
Responding officers and the Seattle Fire Department tried lifesaving treatment, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. By the next day, Seattle police said the victim was 19 years old and that officers were searching for a suspect believed to be a Black male with a beard, about 5 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall, wearing a vest over a button-up shirt and blue jeans.
The killing sent the university into hours of urgent alerts. At about 10:40 p.m., the school warned residents that campus police were investigating a death at the Nordheim Court apartments building and told them to stay indoors and lock doors and windows. Around 11:05 p.m., the university said the area had been secured but urged residents to remain inside. About 30 minutes later, it shared a suspect description. Shortly before 1 a.m. on May 11, the school told residents they no longer needed to shelter indoors, though the investigation remained open.
Seattle police took over after campus officers cordoned off the area, and the King County Medical Examiner was expected to identify the victim in the coming days. University spokesperson Victor Balta said the school could not confirm the student’s identity until next of kin had been notified. The housing complex, which has 454 units, is privately managed and operated by Greystar.
President Robert Jones said the university was reaching out to students affected by the attack and offering support and resources. He said investigators had not identified a suspect or a motive, and he called the loss of a student profound. Jones added that violence involving a trans person can be especially worrying for LGBTQIA+ community members, a point that underscored the uncertainty still hanging over the case.
Seattle police said, in a statement, that the circumstances leading up to the murder remain under investigation. That leaves the central questions still open on May 11: who killed the student, and why a routine night in a dorm-style housing complex for undergraduates turned deadly in a matter of minutes.
