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MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Police are investigating the deaths of four University of Idaho students found Sunday in a home near campus.
Officers with the Moscow Police Department discovered the deaths when they responded to a report of an unconscious person just before noon, according to a city news release.
Police have called the deaths suspected homicides, which generally means the killing of one person by another, though the term does not necessarily suggest the death was intentional or criminally committed.
Authorities did not release additional details, including the cause of death. Police said more information would be shared once family members were notified of the deaths.
“It is with deep sadness that I share with you that the university was notified today of the deaths of four University of Idaho students who lived off campus and are believed to have been homicide victims,” said University of Idaho President Scott Green, in a statement posted on Facebook Sunday night. “Out of respect for these fellow Vandals, classes statewide and online are canceled on Monday, November 14.”
The university said counselors would be available to students at the campus counseling center, while employees could access assistance through an employee assistance program. Green urged people to reach out if they were worried about their classmates or co-workers.
“An event of this magnitude can understandably have a significant impact on those left behind,” Green wrote. “As hooligans, we must unite and help each other.”
Shortly after the bodies were found, the university advised the students to shelter in place for about an hour until investigators determined there was no active threat to others in the region.
The Moscow Police Department said the investigation was ongoing and asked people with information to call the department.
Moscow City is a close-knit college town located in the hills of north-central Idaho, about 80 miles southeast of Spokane, Washington.